UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


.  FROM   THE    LIBRARY   OF 

DR.  JOSEPH   LECONTE. 

GIFT  OF  MRS.   LECONTE. 
No. 


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SERMONS, 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


r* 


BY  ROBERT  MEANS,  A.  M. 

M 

OF  FAIRFIELD  DISTRICT,  S.  C. 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 

AND 

A    SERMON    OCCASIONED    BY    HIS    DEATH, 

BY   GEORGE   HOWE, 

Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  ia  th«  Theol.  Sera,,  Columbia,  S.  C. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY  PERKINS  AND  MARVIN, 

1836. 


//-f 


• 


INTRODUCTION. 


IN  introducing  these  writings  of  a  departed  brother  in 
the  ministry  to  the  notice  of  the  public,  the  editor  feels  that 
he  is  called  upon  to  say  but  little.  Where  the  author  of  the 
Sermons  and  Essay  were  known  familiarly,  they  will  need 
no  introduction  to  insure  a  favorable  reception  ;  and  where 
he  was  less  known,  they  will  of  themselves  win  for  him  the 
reader's  respect.  While  it  is  believed  that  they  have  an 
intrinsic  merit  which  will  repay  any  one  who  shall  peruse 
them,  it  is  more  especially  for  the  region  in  which  he  labored 
that  they  are  given  to  the  world.  They  are  a  pleasing  me- 
morial to  his  many  surviving  friends,  of  one  whom  they 
loved  and  honored.  Though  his  head  is  now  low,  and  his 
voice  silent  in  death,  he  may  speak  to  them  through  these 
pages  as  affectionately  and  impressively  as  when  among 
them.  They  will  be  read  with  profit  by  those  who  were 
the  attendants  upon  his  ministry ;  and  from  them  all  may 
learn  their  duty  towards  God,  and  derive  important  in- 
struction respecting  his  word. 


IV  .v  s  INTRODUCTION. 

Born  to  the  possession  of  wealth,  and  educated  for  the 
legal  profession,  our  departed  brother  early  renounced  the 
honors  of  the  world  which  lay  before  him,  that  he  might 
preach  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  he  had  chosen  as 
his  guide,  and  had  found  a  consolation  to  his  heart.  Though 
his  name  never  travelled  far  beyond  the  bounds  of  his  native 
State,  he  deserved  to  be  extensively  known  ;  for  wherever 
the  qualities  of  his  mind  and  heart  were  appreciated,  they 
gained  for  him  respect  and  strong  attachment. 

For  a  narrative  of  his  life,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
Sermon  at  the  close  of  this  volume. 

Mr.  Means  died  on  the  17th  of  January,  1836,  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-nine  years,  after  a  confinement  to  his 
chamber  of  only  a  few  days.  That  religion  which  he  had 
early  chosen  as  his  portion,  and  which  he  had  spent  his  life 
in  recommending  to  others,  sustained  him  in  view  of  ap- 
proaching dissolution,  and  the  expressions  of  resignation  and 
trust  in  God,  which  he  uttered  as  his  end  approached,  will 
be  remembered  long  by  the  several  branches  of  the  numerous 
and  affectionate  family  who  crowded  around  his  dying  bed, 
and,  while  he  remained  on  earth,  looked  to  him  as  their 
counsellor  and  example. 

The  author  of  the  Sermons  and  Essay  which  are  now 
presented  to  the  reader,  was  tall  and  commanding  in  person, 
dignified  and  polished  in  manners,  an  object  of  attraction  to 
the  stranger,  and  of  admiration  to  those  who  stood  to  him  in 
the  relation  of  kindred,  or  were  included  in  the  circle  of 
friends.  His  voice  was  melodious,  the  expression  of  his 
countenance  in  conversation  animated,  his  manner  kind  and 
amiable,  his  knowledge  in  the  walks  of  literature  extensive, 
his  interest  in  the  topics  which  have  agitated  the  public  mind 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

deep,  his  love  of  his  native  State  pure  and  fervent.  The 
writer  of  these  lines  is  not  alone  in  the  estimation  he  has 
formed  of  the  character  of  Mr.  Means. 

The  following  letter,  written  by  the  Hon.  Mr.  Preston  to 
Dr.  David  Means  on  hearing  of  his  brother's  death,  shows 
the  manner  in  which  he  was  esteemed  by  that  distinguished 
senator. 

"  I  am  sure  I  need  not  tell  you  how  deeply  I  sympa- 
thize, or  rather,  participate  with  you  in  this  heavy  affliction 
with  which  it  has  pleased  Providence  to  visit  us.  As  no 
one  possessed  more  qualities  to  attract  esteem  and  affection, 
so  no  one  was  the  centre  of  a  more  devoted  circle  than  that 
which  now  deplores  the  loss  of  our  friend  and  brother. 
With  so  cultivated  an  understanding,  with  so  pure  a  heart, 
with  such  exalted  piety,  and  such  generous  devotion  to  wise 
and  benevolent  purposes,  there  is  something  that  strikes  the 
mind  as  mysterious  in  the  fact  as  well  as  in  the  manner  of 
his  death.  It  adds  at  once  to  our  grief  and  to  our  conso- 
lation that  he  met  his  death  with  more  composure  than  we 
can  contemplate  it.  His  perfect  fitness  for  life  made  him 
ready  for  death.  That  which  makes  us  mourn  the  more, 
made  him  the  more  resigned ;  and  I  hear  that  he  approached 
his  end  with  that  quiet  and  confiding  acquiescence  in  the 
decrees  of  Providence,  which  his  precepts  and  example 
through  life  had  taught  to  others.  I  have  not  known  a  man 
who  united  in  so  eminent  a  degree,  the  highest  qualities  of  a 
gentleman  and  a  Christian  ;  in  whose  life  and  conversation 
there  was  such  a  uniform  beauty,  or  whose  amiable  character 
resulted  so  much  more  from  the  presence  of  virtues,  than  the 
absence  of  faults.  The  generous  impulses  of  his  heart  had 
prompted  him  to  cultivate  his  mind  as  a  duty,  and  his  cul- 


Tl  INTRODUCTION. 

tivated  mind  had  regulated,  refined,  and  exalted  the  impulses 
of  his  heart,  and  this  blending  of  his  moral  and  intellectual 
being,  made  him  a  man  to  be  loved  and  venerated.  I  hope 
that  my  long  and  tender  friendship  for  him,  entitle  me  to 
mingle  my  griefs  with  those  of  his  family." 

Mr.  Means's  mind  was  not  characterized  by  brilliancy  so 
much  as  by  strength  and  independence.  His  favorite  studies 
are  said,  by  those  best  acquainted  with  his  pursuits,  to  have 
been  mathematics  and  metaphysics.  His  taste  was  correct 
and  chastened.  The  Sermons  which  occupy  this  volume 
will  show  to  the  reader  the  marks  of  correct  sense,  expressed 
in  an  easy  and  harmonious  style.  As  specimens  of  compo- 
sition, those  of  them  which  were  the  most  carefully  written, 
are  entitled  to  praise  for  purity,  clearness  and  succinctness,  as 
well  as  for  their  moral  excellence.  The  Essay  on  the  Pen- 
tateuch, as  the  prefatory  article  prefixed  to  it  informs  us,  was 
written  in  answer  to  the  pamphlet  of  Dr.  Cooper  on  the 
same  subject.  The  Geological  theory  adopted  by  this 
gentleman,  then  the  president  of  South  Carolina  college,  is 
irreconcilable  with  the  commonly  received  interpretation  of 
the  Mosaic  Cosmogony.  Dr.  Cooper  proceeded,  therefore, 
as  many  others  who  did  not  believe  in  the  plenary  inspiration 
of  the  Scriptures  have  done  before  him,  to  disprove  the 
genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch  as  a  writing  of  Moses. 

Mr.  Means,  by  his  Essay  in  answer  to  Dr.  Cooper,  per- 
formed a  service  acceptable  to  the  Christian  public  :  and  he 
received  from  several  individuals  entitled  to  great  respect, 
their  thanks  for  the  service  thus  rendered  to  the  cause  of 
revelation.*  The  Essay  is  commended  to  the  perusal  of  all 

*  Among  others,  from  bishop  Bowen  of  Charleston,  who,  in  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Means,  acknowledged  his  obligations  for  the  satisfaction  the  Essay  in 
question  had  afforded  him. 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

interested  in  such  inquiries,  and  of  all  who  would  be  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  objections  of  infidels.  It  will  be  found 
preceded  in  the  present  volume  by  an  historical  account  of 
the  controversy  on  the  Pentateuch,  from  its  commencement 
to  the  present  time,  which  has  been  drawn  up  by  the  editor. 
Some  of  the  Sermons  in  this  volume  were  selected  more 
for  the  subjects  of  which  they  treat,  than  for  any  un- 
usual marks  of  care  apparent  in  their  composition.  The 
whole  are  believed  to  afford  a  fair  specimen  of  the  author's 
ordinary  style  of  preaching.  That  they  may  tend  to  per- 
petuate his  memory  in  the  recollections  of  the  wise  and 
good,  and  may  afford  instruction  and  consolation  by  the 
truths  they  teach,  now  that  the  voice  which  gave  them 
utterance  is  silent  in  death,  is  the  desire  and  prayer  of  the 
editor.  Their  amiable  author  passed  away  from  his  earthly 
labors  in  the  midst  of  his  days,  when  apparently  the  field  of 
effort  and  the  sphere  of  usefulness  were  widening  around 
him.  His  entrance  upon  the  stage  of  life  was  early,  his  part 
was  soon  performed,  and  early  and  mournful  was  his  exit. 
He  has  passed,  we  believe,  to  the  realms  of  peace,  and  a 
re-union  with  those  pious  friends  who  went  before  him  has 
already  taken  place.  Let  us  all  work  while  it  is  called 
to-day.  Let  us  show  by  our  deeds  that  we  regard  heaven 
as  the  only  place  of  rest.  Soon,  we  too,  if  found  faithful, 
shall  hear  a  voice  saying,  "  Come  up  hither."  May  we  then 
'  ascend  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  and  our  enemies  behold ' 
our  escape  from  sin  and  death  with  unavailing  regret. 

THEOL.  SEM.  COLUMBIA.  ) 
September,  1836.         5 


CONTENTS. 


SERMON  I. 

The  Trial  of  Abraham's  Faith.— Gen.  xxii.  2, 17 

SERMON  II. 

On  Resting  in  Earthly  Good. — Job  xxix.  18, 29 

SERMON  III. 
The  Rich  Man.— Luke  xii.  20, 41 

SERMON  IV. 
The  Sinner's  Destruction  Certain. — Ezek.  xxxiii.  11,  ....      54 

SERMON  V. 

Necessity  of  Seeking  True  Religion.— Matt.  vi.  33,      ....      66 

SERMON  VI. 

The  Death  of  the  Righteous.— Numb,  xxiii.  10, 77 

2 


X  CONTENTS. 

SERMON  VII. 

The  Heavenly  State.— 1  John  iii.  2, 90 

SERMON  VIII. 

The  Discouragements  and  Consolations  of  the  Christian  Min- 
ister.— Isa.  xlix.  4, ". 101 

SERMON  IX. 

Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven. — Matt.  vi.  9, Ill 

SERMON  X. 
Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done. — Matt.  vi.  10,    .    .    .    .    119 

SERMON  XI. 
Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. — Matt.  vi.  11, 127 

SERMON  XII. 
Lead  us  not  into  temptation. — Matt.  vi.  13, 134 

SERMON  XIII. 
For  thine  is  the  kingdom. — Matt.  vi.  13,     \ 140 

SERMON  XIV. 

Faith  which  worketh  by  love. — Gal.  v.  6, 147 

SERMON  XV. 

Christ's  exposition  of  the  sixth  commandment. — Matt.  v.  21, 22,    159 

SERMON  XVI. 

Genuineness  and  Authenticity  of  the  Old  Testament. — Luke 

xxiv.44, 171 


CONTENTS.  XI 

SERMON  XVII. 

Authority  of  the  Old  Testament.     Argument  from  Prophecy.  — 

2  Peter  i.  21,    ................     187 

SERMON  XVIII. 

Sufficiency  and  Authority  of  the  Christian  Scriptures.  —  2  Tim. 

iii.  15,      ..............    .';    V  .    200 

SERMON  XIX. 
Utility  of  the  Scripture  Histories.  —  1  Cor.  x.  11,      .....    212 

SERMON  XX. 

On  Philosophizing  in  Religion.  —  Col.  ii.  8,      .......    224 

SERMON  XXI. 

The  Divine  Authority  of  the  Christian  Sabbath.  —  Rev.  i.  10,    .    237 

SERMON  XXII. 


Importance  of  Early  Piety.  —  Eccl.  xii.  1,  .     .    .    •'  f  «.   *.  ,n,._.    249 

Preached  on  the  Sabbath  preceding  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

SERMON  XXIII. 

Christ  our  Passover.  —  1  Cor.  v.  7,      .     .    .    /    .'   i    .    .    .     .    262 

Preached  at  the  meeting  of  Presbytery,  at  Black  River,  April,  1833. 

SERMON  XXIV. 
"  It  is  finished."—  John  xix.  30,      ...........    274 

A  Communion  Sermon. 

SERMON  XXV. 
A  Funeral  Discourse.—  Ps.  cii.  24—27,  .........    286 

Occasioned  by  the  death  of  Thomas  Taylor,  Jun.,  Columbia,  1825. 


XH  CONTENTS. 


SERMON  XXVI. 
A  Funeral  Discourse. — Eccl.  ix.  5,  6, 

Preached  December,  1825,  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of 
Messrs.  James  and  Campble. 


SERMON  XXVII. 
A  Funeral  Discourse. — Matt.  xvi.  24, 311 

SERMON  XXVIII. 
A  Sermon  for  the  New  Year. — Heb.  xi.  13, 321 

Preached  January  1,  1825. 

SERMON  XXIX. 
On  Neglect  of  Religion.— Acts  xvii.  32, 333 

SERMON  XXX. 

On  Neglect  of  Religion. — Acts  xvii.  32,      . 343 

SERMON  XXXI. 
The  Import  and  Use  of  Infant  Baptism. — Mark  x.  13,  14,  16,  .    353 

SERMON  XXXII. 
The  Wedding  Garment.— Matt.  xxii.  12,  13, 365 

SERMON  XXXIII. 
The  Sinner  urged  to  a  Choice. — Deut.  xxx.  19, 372 

SERMON  XXXIV. 
On  Union  with  Christ. — John  xv.  5,  .    . 386 

SERMON  XXXV. 
On  Hearing  the  Word.— Luke  viii.  18, 396 


CONTENTS.  Xlll 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Considerations  respecting  the  Genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch, 
with  special  reference  to  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  The  Con- 
nexion between  Geology  and  the  Pentateuch :  By  Thomas 

Cooper,  M.  D." 411 

Note  by  the  Editor, 413 

Preface, 421 

SECTION  I. — Introduction, 423 

II. — The  Pentateuch  traced  to  the  Babylonish  Captivity,    429 

III. — Concerning  the  agency  of  Ezra,  in  reference  to 
the  Pentateuch ;  the  authority  of  the  books  which 
bear  his  name,  and  the  subject  of  the  Jewish 
canon  in  general, 440 

IV. — Of  the  agency  of  Ezra,  in  relation  to  the  Penta- 
teuch, as  appears  from  history,  as  affirmed  by 
tradition,  and  as  indicated  by  the  probabilities  of 

the  case, 456 

V. — Various  theories  respecting  the  origin  of  the  Pen- 
tateuch— Positive  evidence  that  it  is  the  production 
of  Moses, 466 

VI. — Positive   evidence   of  the  Mosaic   origin  of  the 

Pentateuch,  continued, 478 

VII. — The  Pentateuch  not  fabricated  in  an  age  subse- 
quent to  that  of  Moses, 485 

VIII. — First  objection  to  the  genuineness  of  the  Penta- 
teuch— Alleged  anachronisms, 493 

IX. — Second  objection  to  the  genuineness  of  the  Pen- 
tateuch.— Passages  incompatible  with  the  actual 
circumstances  of  the  reputed  author. — Deut.  i.  1. 
Meaning  of  the  Hebrew  word  lay  (eber,)  and  the 
Greek  IleQav,  (Peran,) 505 

X. — Objection  to  its  genuineness  derived  from  the  oc- 
currence of  passages  incompatible  with  the  known 
sentiments  of  Moses, 520 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

SECT.    XL — Objections  particularly  referring  to  the  Book  of 

Genesis, 535 

XII. — Objection  to  its  genuineness,  derived  from  the 
alleged  fact,  that  Moses  was  unacquainted  with 
Hebrew,  the  Egyptian  being  his  vernacular  lan- 
guage,   550 

XIII. — Alleged  impossibility  of  such  a  work  having  been 
produced  in  the  age  of  Moses,  derived  from  a 
consideration  of  the  characters  then  used  in  writ- 
ing, and  the  substances  upon  which  they  were 
impressed, 560 

XIV. — Did  there  exist  in  the  age  of  Moses  any  suitable 
material,  upon  which  the  Pentateuch  might  have 
been  written  ? 572 

XV. — Conclusion, 582 


SERMON. 

A  Sermon  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Rev.  Robert  Means. — 

2  Kings  ii.  12, 591 


SERMONS. 


SERMONS. 


SERMON  I. 

THE  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH. 


GENESIS  xxii.  2. 

And  He  said,  Take  now  thy  son,  thine  only  son  Isaac,  whom 
thou  lovest,  and  get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah ;  and 
offer  him  there  for  a  burnt-offering  upon  one  of  the 
mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee  of. 

THE  history  of  which  these  words  form  a  part, 
is,  in  all  respects,  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
portions  of  the  sacred  volume.  The  persons  in- 
terested— the  command  given — the  result  in  which 
it  issued,  all  deserve  attention. 

In  order  to  understand  this  passage,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  turn  our  attention  to  the  previous 
incidents  in  the  life  of  the  remarkable  man  to 
whom  it  was  addressed.  No  one  of  their  ancestors 
commanded,  in  so  high  a  degree,  the  veneration  of 
3 


18  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.          SER.  1. 

the  Jewish  race,  as  did  the  patriarch  Abraham.  In 
him,  that  strong  distinction  which  separated  them 
from  the  residue  of  human  kind,  had  its  origin.  On 
him,  were  first  bestowed  the  peculiar  privileges  in 
which  they  excelled.  Nor  has  the  reverence  and 
admiration  with  which  he  is  contemplated,  been 
confined  to  his  own  descendants.  It  is  also  felt  by 
Christians,  who  recognize  in  him  one  whom  the 
Almighty  honored — who  was  a  high  example  of 
human  virtue,  and  who  was  called  the  friend  of 
God  and  father  of  the  faithful.  In  obedience  to 
the  divine  command,  he  had  left  his  native  country 
in  order  that  he  might  dwell  as  a  stranger  in  a  land 
which  should  nevertheless  become  the  inheritance 
of  his  children.  Such  was  the  promise  of  God, 
and  with  it  was  connected  the  assurance  that  an 
exceedingly  numerous  posterity  should  descend 
from  him.  Nor  was  the  gratification  derived  from 
this  hope  all  that  he  possessed.  His  seed  was  not 
only  to  become  as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude, 
but  in  them  all  the  families  of  the  earth  should 
be  blessed.  The  appointed  and  glorious  Deliverer 
of  human  kind  was  to  arise  among  them. 

The  deferred  accomplishment  of  the  promise 
might  have  produced  distrust  in  one  less  confident 
of  the  divine  faithfulness.  The  constancy  of  his 
faith  was  rewarded  in  the  birth  of  Isaac  ;  and  near 
seventeen  years  had  passed  since  that  event  to  the 
period  at  which  we  have  taken  up  his  history. 


SER.   1.  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.  19 

The  child  of  promise  was  growing  up  to  manhood. 
Every  thing  combined  to  endear  him  to  a  father's 
heart,  and  hopes  long  and  fondly  cherished  were  in 
the  progress  of  their  fulfilment,  when  the  singular 
and  awful  command  was  given  by  Jehovah,  "  Take 
now  thy  son,  thine  only  son  Isaac,  whom  thou 
lovest,  and  get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah  ;  and 
offer  him  there  as  a  burnt-offering  upon  one  of  the 
mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee  of." 

It  is  intended,  on  the  present  occasion,  to  make 
some  observations  on  the  narrative  to  which  this 
passage  has  relation. 

It  appears,  then,  that  in  the  early  ages  of  the 
world,  direct  communications  had  often  taken  place 
between  God  and  men.  These  had  been  frequently 
enjoyed  by  Abraham  himself.  While  in  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,  before  he  dwelt  in  Haran,  he  had  been 
commanded  by  the  Almighty  to  separate  himself 
from  his  friends  and  his  kindred,  and  go  into  a  land 
which  should  be  shown  to  him.  This  command 
had  been  repeated  in  Haran.  Afterwards,  when 
he  had  entered  Canaan,  God  appeared  to  him  in 
the  plain  of  Moreh  and  promised  to  him  the  land 
in  which  he  then  was.  Subsequently  to  this,  the 
word  of  Jehovah  came  to  him  in  a  vision  to  assure 
him  of  a  numerous  posterity.  And  again,  pre- 
viously to  the  birth  of  Isaac,  the  Lord  appeared  to 
Abraham  and  said,  I  am  the  Almighty  God  ;  walk 
before  me  and  be  thou  perfect,  and  I  will  make  my 


20  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.         SER.  1. 

covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  will  multiply 
thee  exceedingly.  And  finally,  we  note  the  divine 
communication  made  to  this  distinguished  man, 
which  is  contained  in  the  text. 

The  inquiry  may  be  here  proposed,  Why  is  it, 
that  under  the  present  dispensation  of  things,  we 
do  not  observe  such  intercourse  existing  between 
God  and  any  of  his  creatures.  It  will  not  be 
difficult  to  find  a  reason  for  this,  in  the  fact  that 
men  in  the  early  ages  of  the  world  and  at  the 
present  period  are  very  differently  situated.  Now, 
we  have  a  written  communication  from  heaven, 
fully  teaching  us  what  God  is,  and  what  he  requires 
of  us.  Then,  no  such  thing  existed.  The  first 
parents  of  the  human  race  had  been  favored  with 
certain  manifestations  of  their  Creator.  Among 
their  immediate  descendants,  the  knowledge  of  God 
existed  by  means  of  oral  tradition ;  and  when, 
under  peculiar  circumstances,  they  needed  en- 
couragement, or  were  required  to  perform  some 
special  duty,  Jehovah,  in  some  manner,  revealed 
himself  to  individuals. 

Let  us  proceed  to  form  an  estimate  of  the 
conduct  of  Abraham  in  the  trying  situation  in  which 
he  was  now  placed.  He  obeyed  the  divine  com- 
mand, and,  leaving  his  residence  in  the  southern 
part  of  Canaan,  went  three  days'  journey  to  the 
place  which  had  been  pointed  out  to  him.  There, 
leaving  his  attendants,  accompanied  by  his  son, 


SER.   1.  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.  21 

he  proceeded  to  perform  the  awful  task  assigned 
him,  when  he  was  arrested  by  a  divine  command. 
His  obedience  was  proved,  but  the  consolation  of  his 
age,  and  the  ground  of  his  hope  for  distant  genera- 
tions was  spared  to  him. 

It  has  been  alleged,  that  the  patriarch's  conduct 
was  unlawful,  and  that  the  narrative  of  it  violates 
nature  and  probability.  But,  surely,  if  the  matter 
be  rightly  considered,  the  first  allegation  cannot  be 
supported.  He  acts  virtuously  and  lawfully  who 
acts  consistently  with  the  will  of  God  :  for  this  is 
the  sole  measure  of  virtue.  There  are  certain 
ordinary  means  by  which  a  knowledge  of  this  will 
is  attainable.  One  of  these  is  conscience,  which  is 
an  inward  judgment  concerning  actions  as  right  or 
wrong.  Another  is  the  revelation  which  God  has 
made  of  himself  in  sacred  Scripture.  Besides 
these,  we  may  suppose  the  Almighty  to  give  some 
intimation  of  his  will  to  a  particular  individual. 
And  in  this  case,  it  might  become  the  duty  of  that 
individual  to  do  what  under  other  circumstances  it 
would  be  criminal  to  attempt.  Thus  was  it  with 
Abraham.  To  take  away  the  life  of  any  human 
being  is,  abstractedly  considered,  an  evil,  and  much 
more  so  to  deprive  of  life  one  who  has  extraor- 
dinary claims  upon  our  regard.  But  this  act  ceases 
to  be  criminal  under  certain  circumstances.  In 
lawful  warfare,  or  in  conformity  with  the  decisions 
of  public  justice,  death  may  be  inflicted,  and  the 


22  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.         SER.  1. 

instrument  of  its  infliction  does  not  receive  our 
condemnation.  And  much  farther  shall  we  be  from 
censuring,  when  a  distinct  and  special  command  of 
God  has  sanctioned  the  act.  Now  the  question  is, 
Was  the  divine  will  thus  intimated  to  Abraham  ? 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  such  was  his  impression 
— the  record  which  we  have  of  his  conduct  is  a 
proof  that  it  flowed  from  such  a  belief.  But  should 
he  have  acted  under  the  influence  of  this  per- 
suasion? Should  he  not  have  distrusted  his  senses? 
Was  there  not  reason  to  apprehend  some  diabolical 
illusion  which  impelled  him  to  so  terrible  a  deed  ? 
These  are  questions  which  have  been  urged.  In 
replying  to  them,  1  would  observe  in  general,  that 
the  patriarch  must  have  been  thoroughly  convinced 
of  the  reality  of  the  message  which  he  supposed 
himself  to  have  received.  It  required  the  perform- 
ance of  an  act  from  which  every  feeling  of  his  soul 
revolted,  and  which  carried  with  it  destruction  to 
his  dearest  hopes.  He  was  ordered  to  sacrifice  his 
son — his  only  and  beloved  son.  And  say,  ye  who 
know  what  are  a  father's  feelings  toward  his  child, 
would  he  have  lightly  performed  such  an  act? 
Remember  the  emotions  with  which  ye  have  hung 
over  the  sick  or  dying  bed  of  your  offspring,  and 
regarded  the  wasting  progress  of  disease,  and 
anticipated  the  moment  when  what  was  once 
blooming  and  beautiful,  full  of  interest  and  affec- 
tion, should  become  pallid,  and  cold,  and  uncon- 


SER.   1.  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.  23 

scious,  and  an  object  which  ye  would  fain  have 
removed  from  your  sight.  Think  of  this  and 
believe  that  Abraham  was  not  deluded  by  some 
passing  impression  upon  the  mind,  but  acted  under 
the  true  and  perfect  persuasion  that  God,  from 
whom  all  blessings  flow,  had  now  required  this 
severe  proof  of  obedience. 

Many  communications  had  been  made  to  this 
favored  servant  of  Jehovah  ;  in  none  of  them  had  he 
been  deceived.  He  had  doubtless  become  able 
correctly  to  discriminate  between  a  divine  command 
and  the  dictate  of  a  phrensied  imagination,  or  of 
deluded  senses. 

We  are  the  more  assured  of  this  fact  in  the 
present  instance,  because  the  thing  enjoined  was  nofc 
to  be  done  at  once — ere  an  enthusiastic  persuasion 
of  duty  could  have  time  to  wear  away  ;  but  before 
its  performance,  three  days  were  to  intervene  and  a 
considerable  journey  to  be  accomplished.  During 
this  time  and  with  so  awful  a  scene  before  him,  it 
is  not  to  be  doubted  that  he  would  scrupulously 
examine  into  the  obligation  which  impelled  him  to 
enter  upon  it. 

But  admitting  that  the  conduct  of  Abraham  was 
not  unlawful,  acting  as  he  did  under  the  authority 
of  a  divine  injunction  ;  still  the  objection  recurs,  that 
the  narrative  before  us  is  unnatural,  and  therefore 
improbable.  It  is  not  to  be  believed,  say  some,  that 
a  father  so  affectionate  as  the  patriarch  is  repre- 


24  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.         SER.  1. 

sented  to  be,  could,  under  any  circumstances,  take 
away  the  life  of  his  child.  The  objection  has  its 
origin  in  an  ignorance  of  the  capabilities  of  the 
human  heart  when  influenced  by  a  sense  of  duty, 
even  though  it  should  be  a  mistaken  one.  We 
might  be  satisfied  of  its  futility,  by  a  reference  to 
facts  recorded  in  profane  history.  If  a  virtuous  man 
and  affectionate  father  could  doom  to  death  children 
who  had  designed  to  subvert  their  country's  liber- 
ties— if  such  an  one  could  sacrifice  a  son  to  a  high 
sense  of  the  duty  of  military  subordination — much 
more  might  Abraham  have  gone  so  far  in  opposition 
to  his  natural  feelings,  when  he  had  received  a 
special  command  from  God,  whom  he  knew  to  be 
at  once  just  and  merciful.  But  we  have  no  occasion 
to  dwell  upon  this  consideration.  There  is  an 
observation  of  St.  Paul  which  places  the  conduct  of 
the  patriarch  in  a  just  light.  It  occurs  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  xi.  17 — 19.  "By  faith 
Abraham,  when  he  was  tried,  offered  up  Isaac  :  and 
he  that  had  received  the  promises  offered  up  his 
only-begotten  son,  of  whom  it  was  said,  '  That  in 
Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called ; '  accounting  that 
God  was  able  to  raise  him  up,  even  from  the  dead." 
It  was  this  thought  which  fortified  Abraham's 
heart  in  the  extremity  of  his  sorrow.  God  had 
promised,  that  in  Isaac  he  should  possess  a  numerous 
posterity.  This  was  yet  unfulfilled  to  any  extent ; 
and  the  command  which  was  given,  seemed  to  cut 


SER.    1.  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.  25 

off  all  hope  of  its  accomplishment.  Still  he  hesi- 
tated not  to  obey.  He  had  faith  in  God.  He  knew 
that  the  divine  precept  and  promise  must  be  con- 
sistent, and  he  believed  that  rather  than  the  latter 
should  fail,  God  would  raise  up  his  son  from  the 
dead.  Supported  by  this  high  confidence,  he  was 
enabled  to  perform  a  duty,  to  which  the  feelings  of 
human  nature  would,  in  many  instances,  afford  an 
insuperable  obstacle. 

But  it  has  also  been  objected,  that  the  conduct 
which  is  here  ascribed  to  the  Almighty,  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  perfections  which  we  suppose  to 
belong  to  him.  We  cannot  perceive  the  validity  of 
this  objection.  Certainly,  all  creatures  belong  to 
God : — for  sufficient  reasons  he  may  require  of 
them  self  immolation,  or  the  sacrifice  of  those  who 
are  dearest  to  them.  These  reasons  we  can  only 
apprehend  so  far  as  he  reveals  them,  and  then  they 
can  be  but  imperfectly  appreciated  by  us.  In  the 
present  instance,  however,  we  need  experience  no 
difficulty.  God  never  intended  to  have  Isaac 
sacrificed.  His  command  was  given  to  prove  the 
faith  and  obedience  of  Abraham — not  for  the  satis- 
faction of  the  divine  mind,  for  in  that  there  was 
no  ignorance  of  what  would  be  the  result ;  but  in 
order  that  he  might  become  an  example  to  all  ages, 
of  unwavering  faith  and  unhesitating  obedience. 

The  remarks  which  have  on  the  present  occasion 
been  offered,  are  designed  to  place  in  a  proper  light 
4 


26  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.         SER.  1. 

an  important  and  interesting  portion  of  sacred 
writ.  But  we  are  not  to  rest  here  : — "  All  Scripture 
is  profitable  for  our  instruction  in  righteousness." — 
"Whatsoever  things  were  written  aforetime,  were 
written  for  our  learning," — and  all  things  which 
happened  to  saints  of  old  are  examples  to  us,  and 
are  recorded  for  our  admonition. 

From  a  view  of  the  transaction  which  we  have 
been  considering,  we  may  learn  the  nature  arid 
efficacy  of  that  faith  for  which  Abraham  was  so 
celebrated,  and  which  is  urgently  enjoined  upon 
ourselves. 

"  Faith  is  a  reliance  upon  the  testimony,  and  a 
confidence  in  the  goodness  and  justice  of  God."  In 
other  words,  it  is  such  a  reliance  of  soul  upon  God, 
that  we  yield  unhesitating  credence  to  all  he  says, 
and  believe  that  he  is  righteous  and  merciful  in  all 
that  he  commands. 

This  statement  is  supported  by  the  history  before 
us.  Abraham  trusted  the  divine  promise  when  the 
only  means  of  its  accomplishment  seemed  about  to 
be  frustrated.  He  was  confident  that  God  acted 
with  propriety  even  when  he  gave  a  command  the 
nature  of  which  was  appalling — and  the  reasons  of 
which  he  could  not  conceive.  The  consequences 
were  happy.  He  who  proved  himself  willing  to  give 
up  his  most  cherished  comfort,  was  relieved  from  the 
painful  necessity  of  doing  so.  The  singular  favor 
with  which  he  had  been  regarded  by  the  Almighty 


SER.    1.  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM^  FAITH.  27 

was  continued  to  him.  In  a  word,  Abraham  believed 
in  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness. 

Let  us,  then,  brethren  and  friends,  imitate  this 
illustrious  example  of  faith  and  obedience.  To  us 
God  has  made  various  communications  in  his  writ- 
ten word.  He  has  promised  to  us  the  spiritual 
blessings  which  the  patriarch  inherited,  and  which 
are  in  reserve  for  all  who  love  God.  Shall  we  not 
believe  this  promise?  What,  although  these  blessings 
exist  in  another  world,  and  our  eyes  see  them  not, 
and  the  path  which  leads  to  them  lies  through  the 
gloomy  vale  of  death  ?  Have  we  not  the  testimony 
of  God  concerning  them  ?  Did  not  Abraham,  in 
reliance  upon  the  divine  command,  leave  his  own 
country,  not  knowing  whither  he  went  ?  And  shall 
not  we  regard  the  injunction  which  bids  us  seek  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  ?  Let  us  not,  through  unbelief, 
forfeit  our  portion  in  that  kingdom.  If  we  do, 
another  and  far  different  portion  awaits  us.  With 
the  unbelieving,  we  shall  die  without  hope,  and 
share  with  them  eternal  condemnation. 

Let  us,  in  fine,  imitate  the  obedience  as  well  as 
the  faith  of  Abraham.  Our  trials  are  not  comparable 
to  his.  God  does  not  require  from  us  the  awful 
instance  of  devotion  which  we  have  been  consider- 
ing to-day.  But  he  requires  us  to  renounce  all  sin, 
to  fear  and  worship  him,  to  believe  in  his  Son  and 
trust  on  him : — and  without  enjoining  it  upon  us  to 
be  instrumental  in  the  destruction  of  our  own 


28  TRIAL  OF  ABRAHAM'S  FAITH.         SER.  1. 

comforts,  when  those  comforts  are  taken  away,  he 
expects  that,  with  acknowledgment  of  his  righteous- 
ness, we  should  submit  to  his  will. 

Are  not  these  requisitions  reasonable  ?  In  living 
to  the  glory  of  God,  we  secure  the  highest  enjoy- 
ment. In  believing  on  the  Saviour,  we  obtain 
exemption  from  future  wretchedness,  and  receive  a 
title  to  eternal  life.  Let  us,  then,  be  stirred  up  by 
the  contemplation  of  those  worthies,  who,  having 
died  in  faith,  now  inherit  the  promises  : — imitating 
their  conduct,  we  shall  attain  their  blessedness,  and 
finally  be  admitted  to  that  glorious  assembly,  where 
we  shall  see  "  God  the  judge  of  all,  and  Jesus  the 
mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  and  the  spirits  of  the 
just  made  perfect." 


SERMON   II. 


ON  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD. 


JOB  xxix.   18. 

Then  I  said,  I  shall  die  in  my  nest,  and  I  shall  multiply  my 
days  as  the  sand. 

THE  chapter  from  which  this  passage  is  taken, 
contains  a  beautiful  and  striking  representation  of 
great  worldly  prosperity,  associated  with  a  high 
degree  of  moral  excellence.  Toward  Job  the  favor 
of  the  Almighty  had  been  remarkably  displayed. 
He  was  blest  with  inward  peace  and  joy,  and  he 
was  enriched  with  many  outward  possessions. 
With  these,  were  connected  other  distinctions  the 
most  gratifying  to  the  human  mind  ;  the  reverence 
of  the  young,  the  esteem  of  the  aged,  the  respect 
of  nobles  and  princes  ;  and  what  was  most  delight- 
ful of  all,  the  blessing  of  those  who  were  ready  to 


30  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  SER.  2. 

perish,  upon  him  who  had  delivered  the  poor  that 
cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  had  none  to 
help  him  ;  who  had  caused  the  widow's  heart  to 
sing  for  joy,  who  had  been  eyes  to  the  blind  and 
feet  to  the  lame. 

Of  a  condition  thus  distinguished  by  the  favor 
of  God,  the  practice  of  virtue  and  piety  and  the 
veneration  of  men,  it  would  not  seem  unreasonable 
to  say  that  it  would  be  stable  ;  at  all  events,  as 
much  so  as  any  thing  belonging  to  earth.  Accord- 
ingly, he  who  enjoyed  such  prosperity  was  lulled 
into  a  feeling  of  security.  He  said,  "  I  shall  die  in 
my  nest,  I  shall  multiply  my  days  as  the  sand." 
The  hope  was  delusive,  the  confidence  was 
destroyed.  Adversity  assailed  him  in  his  pos- 
sessions, in  his  family,  in  his  own  person.  He 
became  poor,  was  bereaved  of  all  his  children,  was 
subjected  to  a  disease  loathsome  and  intolerable,, 
Nor  was  he  allowed  to  cherish  the  confidence  that 
God  was  still  his  friend,  notwithstanding  the  dark- 
ness of  his  dispensations.  There  were  those 
around  him,  who,  mistaking  the  intention  of  those 
dispensations,  harassed  him  with  accusations  of 
wickedness  and  admonitions  to  repent. 

We  can  well  conceive  how  intense,  under  these 
circumstances,  must  have  been  his  sufferings  ;  and, 
in  contrasting  them  with  his  former  condition,  we 
have  a  most  affecting  example  of  the  vicissitudes 
to  which  human  beings  are  liable  in  the  present 


SER.  2.      RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.         31 

life.  There  are  instances  where  the  fall  has  been 
from  a  greater  height,  in  a  more  extraordinary 
manner,  and  to  a  greater  and  more  irrecoverable 
depth ;  and,  when  we  call  to  our  remembrance 
one,  who,  rising  from  an  humble  condition,  attained 
to  an  eminence  unsurpassed  by  man,  and  menaced 
with  subjugation  the  whole  civilized  world — and 
when  we  observe  him  almost  in  an  hour  hurled 
from  that  eminence,  exchanging  an  empire  for  a 
barren  isle  in  a  distant  ocean,  uncontrolled  authority 
for  a  captivity  to  be  alone  terminated  by  death, — 
when  such  things  pass  under  our  view  or  occur  to 
our  recollection,  we  are  amazed— we  have  proof 
undeniable,  that  the  extremes  of  prosperity  and 
adversity  are  oftentimes  most  suddenly  exchanged. 
But  such  examples  as  these  are  not  so  useful  or 
affecting  to  us  as  those  occurring  under  the  ordinary 
circumstances  of  human  society.  One  of  the  former 
is  presented  perhaps  in  an  age,  and  affords  a  solemn 
memento  to  monarchs,  and  heroes,  and  conquerors. 
The  latter  are  continually  brought  under  view ; 
they  exist  in  conformity  with  the  general  destiny 
of  the  human  race.  To  the  mournful  reverse  we 
are  contemplating,  ourselves  are  exposed.  The 
secondary  causes  inducing  it  are  always  ready,  and 
God  may  at  any  time  bring  them  into  operation. 
Were  we,  therefore,  to  learn  wisdom  from  the 
experience  of  others,  or  were  we  to  derive  a  lesson 
from  our  own,  we  should  be  convinced  that  humaa 


32  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  SER.  2. 

happiness  is  continually  liable  to  decay  and  destruc- 
tion, that  we  should  not  therefore  rely  upon  its 
permanence. 

Yet,  are  views  very  different  from  this  cher- 
ished by  us,  and  every  man  is  inclined  to  indulge 
in  the  confidence  expressed  by  Job — "  I  shall  die 
in  my  nest,  and  I  shall  multiply  my  days  as  the 
sand."  A  disposition  to  take  up  our  rest,  to 
receive  our  portion  in  this  life,  may  be  stated  as  an 
universal  characteristic  of  our  race.  And  here  the 
inquiry  is  presented,  Why  is  it  thus  ?  Since  this 
world  is  a  state  of  imperfect  knowledge,  goodness, 
and  happiness,  and  the  world  to  come  exhibits  a 
great  enlargement  of  these  ;  and  since  the  one 
exists  but  for  a  time,  the  other  throughout  eternity, 
it  would  seem  strange  that  men  should  cling  to  the 
former,  and  regard  the  entrance  upon  the  latter  as 
a  subject  of  dread.  And  yet,  that  this  should  be 
the  fact  with  respect  to  the  irreligious  man,  fur- 
nishes in  reality  no  occasion  of  surprise.  In  this 
life  only  he  has  hope ;  beyond  it,  is  to  him  a  region 
of  darkness.  It  may  be,  that  he  shall  have  no 
existence  beyond  the  grave.  It  is  certain,  that  he 
has  no  reasonable  ground  upon  which  to  rest  the 
expectation  of  renewed  and  increased  happiness. 
The  belief  of  immortality  is  alone  supported  by 
considerations  which  excite  in  his  breast  the  most 
painful  apprehensions  of  evil.  No  wonder,  then, 
that  all  his  thoughts,  all  his  affections,  all  his  hopes, 


SER.  2.  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  33 

are  conversant  with  temporal  things.  It  is  proper 
that  he  should  cherish  the  only  happiness  which  he 
enjoys  or  hopes  for.  It  is  natural  that  he  should 
endeavor  to  keep  out  of  view,  that  he  should 
earnestly  deprecate  an  event  which  may  turn  all 
his  joy  into  the  bitterest  sorrow. 

But  why  should  the  Christian  be  wedded  to 
earth  and  its  enjoyments  ?  Why  should  he  wish  a 
prolonged  life,  when  there  is  laid  up  for  him  an 
inestimable  treasure  in  the  heavens ;  when  the 
happiness  which  awaits  him  exceeds  what  eye  hath 
seen  or  mind  conceived  ?  Ought  he  riot  rather  to 
pray  for  deliverance  from  this  world's  bondage  ? 
Ought  not  the  hour  which  terminates  his  earthly 
career,  to  be  regarded  as  the  period  when  the  accom- 
plishment of  our  hopes  shall  take  place  ?  It  would 
be  thus,  were  it  not  that  his  views  of  the  future  life 
are  imperfect;  that  his  faith  often  needs  confirmation 
and  increase.  It  was  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the 
great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  to  be  translated  into 
the  third  heaven  ;  to  hear  words  unutterable,  and  to 
behold  things  indescribable.  Our  knowledge  of 
futurity  is  not  derived  from  sight,  but  faith ;  and 
this  may  be  weak  or  strong  in  different  Christians. 
At  different  times  it  may  vary  in  strength  in  the 
same  individual.  Now,  although  the  faith  of  the 
weakest  Christian,  concerning  the  realities  of 
another  world,  is  sufficiently  strong  to  enable  him 
to  have  an  habitual  reference  to  them,  and  to 
5 


34  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  SER.  2. 

influence  him  to  work  out  his  salvation,  yet  it  is 
not  so  clear  as  to  produce  in  his  mind  an  abiding 
conviction,  that  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ  is  far 
better  than  to  dwell  in  a  world  where  sin  and 
sorrow  are  ever  assailing  us.  There  are  periods 
when  Christians  do  experience  this  conviction ; 
when  the  mind's  eye  is  intensely  fixed  upon  things 
not  visible  to  the  bodily  organ  ;  when  there  is  an 
abstraction  from  earthly  concerns  ;  when  sin,  and 
vanity,  and  sorrow  are  forgotten  or  remembered 
only  to  be  exhibited  in  strong  contrast  to  all  that 
is  opposite  to  them ;  when  the  period  is  anticipated 
at  which  God  shall  wipe  away  all  their  tears, 
relieve  them  from  all  spiritual  as  well  as  natural 
evil,  and  receive  them  into  a  state  of  glory  and 
happiness  which  shall  never  end.  Such  are  the 
scenes  upon  which  the  Christian's  mind  sometimes 
dwells  with  an  intensity  of  meditation,  which 
subdues  in  him  the  too  strong  love  of  life,  and  which 
nourishes  the  earnest  desire  of  immortality.  Such 
cannot,  however,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  be 
his  uniform  or  even  habitual  frame  of  mind.  At 
other  times,  although  there  should  be  no  diminution 
of  religious  zeal  or  pious  feeling,  there  will  be  an 
obscuration  of  the  views  which  faith  had  presented  ; 
and  in  consequence,  the  want  of  that  entire  willing- 
ness of  which  we  have  spoken,  to  encounter  the 
closing  scene  of  life. 

But  in  addition  to  the  reasons  derived  from  the 


SER.  2.  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  35 

obscurity  of  faith,  there  are  others  which  induce  a 
wish  to  be  established  in  our  present  possessions. 
A  certain  portion  of  good  is  allotted  to  us  in  life. 
It  is  natural  for  us  to  employ  it  in  such  a  manner 
as  will  most  minister  to  our  gratification.  But  to 
enjoy  felicity  in  its  highest  degree,  there  must  be 
no  reference  to  its  interruption  or  termination. 
The  occurrence  of  such  an  idea  will  inflict  positive 
pain,  or,  at  all  events,  dirninish  our  pleasure.  For 
this  cause,  although  we  may  have  a  higher  happi- 
ness in  prospect,  we  had  rather  repose  ourselves  in 
the  confidence  of  possessing  a  present  inferior  good, 
which  we  hope  is  to  be  permanent.  We  are  the 
more  prone  to  do  this,  inasmuch  as  the  heavenly 
inheritance  is  not  to  be  obtained  without  previously 
encountering  many  and  serious  calamities,  and 
without  the  intervention  of  the  gloomy  period  of 
death.  The  man  destitute  of  earthly  comfort  and 
harassed  by  the  ills  of  life,  who  has  hope  of  a 
happy  immortality,  may  long  indeed  for  the  ending 
of  his  probation  here.  But  those  who  are  at  ease 
in  their  possessions,  even  although  the  inheritance 
of  heaven  may  be  theirs,  have  their  aspirations  after 
its  enjoyment  checked  by  the  consideration  of  the 
thick  darkness  which  must  precede  the  revelation 
of  eternal  day. 

These  are  some  of  the  reasons  why  men,  religious 
as  well  as  irreligious,  are  generally  disposed  to  take 
up  their  rest  in  this  life,  and  to  indulge  the  hope 


/         THI 
{UNIVERSITY 

v.  o^ 


36  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  SER.  2. 

that  their  days  shall  be  multiplied  as  the  sand. 
But  how  unwise  is  this  conduct;  how  fallacious 
this  hope,  must  be  exceedingly  obvious  to  every 
reflecting  mind.  What  is  daily  occurring  in  the 
world  should  afford  us  instruction  on  this  subject. 
We  may  visit  the  mansion  of  joy  and  behold  shining 
faces  indicating  hearts  free  from  care  and  full  of 
pleasure.  The  circle  of  friendship  is  complete. 
Each  is  happy  in  rendering  others  so.  In  the  con- 
sciousness of  present  happiness,  any  change  of 
condition  is  unthought  of.  And  yet  how  many 
thousand  occurrences  are  there  which  may  reverse 
all  these  appearances.  An  hour  may  suffice  to 
bring  on  gloom,  and  sorrow,  and  the  withering  of 
all  their  hopes. 

We  may  behold  an  individual  confident  of  life, 
exulting  in  worldly  distinctions,  abounding  in 
wealth,  reaping  every  gratification,  and  we  shall 
to-morrow  see  him  not  again.  He  has  passed  from 
the  land  of  the  living.  His  distinctions  have  not 
profited  him.  His  possessions  he  has  left  to  others. 
His  enjoyments  on  earth  have  come  to  an  end. 

Such  things  in  regard  to  others  come  under  our 
daily  observation.  Such  we  may  reasonably  antici- 
pate for  our  destiny,  judging  of  the  future  by  the 
past.  Our  own  experience,  although  less  extensive, 
perhaps  less  striking,  is  in  no  respect  deviating 
from  the  general  experience  of  mankind.  It  may 
have  been  the  peculiar  felicity  of  some  of  us,  never 


SER.  2.  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  37 

to  have  felt  the  agony  connected  with  the  loss  of  a 
loved  benefactor  or  highly  cherished  friend.  We 
may,  indeed,  never  have  encountered  any  signal 
calamity.  Yet  there  has  been  enough  even  in  our 
lot  in  life,  favorable  as  it  may  have  been,  to  show 
that  entire  security  is  not  characteristic  of  any 
human  condition.  There  have  still  been  occasional 
events,  which  have  deranged  our  plans,  frustrated 
our  hopes,  and  disturbed  us  in  our  enjoyments. 
And  these  lesser  evils  may  serve  to  admonish  us  of 
those  which  are  greater,  but  which  also  enter  into 
the  general  dispensations  of  God  to  man. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  all  these  monitions,  men 
rarely  attain  to  true  wisdom  in  regard  to  this 
matter.  Many  will  take  up  their  portion  in  this 
life  ; — and  others  who  are  free  from  this  folly, 
attach  too  much  importance  to  temporal  happiness, 
and  calculate  too  strongly  upon  its  continuance. 
Such  a  state  of  things  is  to  be  deplored — for 
calamity,  being  unexpected  in  its  occurrence,  is 
tenfold  more  severe ;  and  those  who  are  too  well 
satisfied  with  their  present,  will  not  be  sufficiently 
solicitous  about  their  future  condition.  The  means 
for  obtaining  entrance  into  a  future  state  of  happi- 
ness, will  be  overlooked  by  one  who  has  no  object 
nearer  to  his  heart  than  the  rendering  his  present 
condition  a  permanent  one.  And  they  who  are 
persuaded  that  their  most  valued  treasure  should  be 
laid  up  in  heaven,  will,  under  these  circumstances, 


38          RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.      SER.  2. 

find  ]it  difficult  to  have  their  affections  so  entirely 
there,  as  would  naturally  arise  from  this  conviction. 

In  reverting  to  the  statements  which  we  have 
made,  the  inquiry  may  arise — Why  does  the  Al- 
mighty render  human  happiness  thus  uncertain  and 
perishable  ?  Why,  although  our  days  are  numbered, 
are  we  not  permitted,  during  the  period,  to  rest  in 
peace  ? 

This  was  the  subject  of  the  humble  expostulation 
which  Job  addressed  to  his  Creator.  With  a  similar 
feeling,  it  may  now  be  urged  by  the  pious  ;  and 
with  intentions  very  different,  by  the  profane  man. 

The  inquiry  is  not  why  men  are  subjected  to  the 
necessity  of  death.  This  is  a  more  general  consid- 
eration than  the  one  now  before  us,  to  which  we 
shall  not  make  any  reference.  But  the  question  is, 
why  life  is  not  merely  short,  but  often  miserable  ; 
why  it  is  that  we  are  not  to  look  alone  to  the  grave 
as  the  destroyer  of  our  earthly  happiness,  but  that 
we  find  it  continually  marred  by  many  other 
unforeseen  circumstances. 

In  regard  to  the  wicked,  we  may  say  that  this  is 
a  portion  of  their  punishment — that  the  wages  ot 
sin  is  not  merely  death,  but  all  the  variety  of  ills 
which  flesh  is  heir  to.  But  what  shall  be  said  con- 
cerning the  righteous,  who  are  oftentimes  more  in 
trouble  than  others  ?  In  general,  we  conclude,  that 
although  guilt  may  be  forgiven  so  far  as  respects 
the  consequences  of  it  in  another  world,  yet  entire 


SER.  2.  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  39 

exemption  from  the  temporal  evils  connected  with 
it,  is  not  to  be  expected.  It  seems  good  to  the 
Almighty  to  visit  us  with  these,  and  this  procedure 
is  not  only  consistent  with  justice,  but  accords  with 
the  divine  goodness.  For,  since  death  is  inevitable, 
this  circumstance  which  we  have  in  view,  is  calcu- 
lated to  render  it  more  tolerable. 

Were  this  world  altogether  a  scene  of  brightness 
and  joy — were  our  happiness  to  flow  in  a  full,  con- 
tinuous stream, — we  should  experience  far  greater 
difficulty  than  is  now  felt  in  renouncing  its  posses- 
sions and  gratifications.  With  all  the  trials  to  which 
we  are  subject  in  life — with  all  the  disappointments 
which  occur — with  all  the  severe  and  numerous 
calamities  which  we  endure, — how  reluctant  are  we 
to  undergo  the  great  change  which  is  appointed  for 
us. 

Temporal  happiness  is  therefore  made  uncertain 
and  perishable,  that  the  too  strong  love  of  life  may 
be  subdued.  Not  finding  an  opportunity  of  rest  in 
this  world,  we  may  be  forcibly  induced  to  seek  it 
in  another  and  better.  Experiencing  much  affliction 
here,  we  may  finally  be  brought  to  contemplate 
death  with  less  terror — we  may  learn  to  regard  it 
not  as  the  end  of  existence  or  of  happiness,  but  as 
the  last  trial,  issuing  in  pure,  exalted,  and  undecay- 
ing  felicity. 

In  view  of  all  these  things,  brethren,  there  are 
two  reflections  with  which  I  would  conclude.  In 


I 

40  RESTING  IN  EARTHLY  GOOD.  SER.  2. 

the  day  of  prosperity  let  us  be  considerate ; — in  the 
midst  of  adversity  let  us  not  despond.  When  life 
wears  its  most  enchanting  aspects — when  all  things 
combine  to  give  promise  of  much  and  permanent 
pleasure — let  us  be  suspicious  of  these  appearances, 
let  us  know  that  a  reverse  may  be  at  hand,  and  let 
us  wisely  prepare  for  its  approach.  And  when  God 
our  Disposer  disappoints  our  hopes,  and  causes  our 
earthly  joys  to  perish ;  let  us  understand  the  language 
of  his  dispensations.  Let  our  minds  be  carried  for- 
ward to  the  period  when  worldly  joys  and  worldly 
sorrows,  as  to  us,  shall  neither  exist  nor  be  remem- 
bered— when  the  former  will  be  merged  in  the 
fullness  of  everlasting  happiness,  or  the  latter  sunk 
in  wretchedness  which  is  indescribable. 

Let  us,  in  fine,  not  take  up  our  rest  in  this  life ; 
but,  while  the  blessings  dispensed  to  us  are  cheer- 
fully and  thankfully  enjoyed,  let  us  endeavor  to 
have  our  thoughts,  and  affections,  and  hopes,  centre 
in  heaven. 


41 


SERMON    III 


THE  RICH  MAN. 


LUKE  xii.  20. 

But  God  said  unto  him,  Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall 
be  required  of  thee. 

THE  stroke  of  calamity  is  most  terrible  when 
inflicted  without  any  previous  warning.  With 
opportunity  for  preparation,  the  most  appalling  evils 
may  oftentimes  be  steadily  encountered.  For  their 
severity  may  be  diminished  if  they  cannot  be 
altogether  obviated,  or  the  mind  may  be  braced  up 
to  such  a  tone  of  desperate  determination,  that  it 
becomes  competent  to  sustain  any  earthly  trial. 
But  when  there  are  no  monitions  of  approaching 
evil,  when  all  is  tranquillity  and  happiness  at  one 
moment,  and  all  is  alarm  and  agony  in  the  next, 
then  is  human  nature  taxed  in  its  utmost  powers  of 
6 


42  THE  RICH  MAN.  SER.  3. 

endurance ;  it  is  as  though  a  thunderbolt  were  to 
strike  us  when  the  atmosphere  was  serene  and 
bright,  as  though  the  gentlest  breath  of  heaven 
were  instantaneously  to  swell  into  the  desolating 
tempest.  The  mind  has  not  time  to  collect  its 
energies,  but  sinks  under  the  calamitous  visitation ; 
and  an  unexpected  evil  is  encountered  with  more 
fear,  and  productive  of  far  deeper  affliction,  than 
would  exist  under  other  circumstances.  Confirma- 
tion of  these  remarks  occur  in  our  every  day  expe- 
rience ;  and,  connecting  our  own  observation  with 
some  of  the  narratives  contained  in  the  sacred 
volume,  we  shall  be  led  to  indulge  in  reflections 
which  are  of  a  solemn  and  may  be  of  a  useful 
character. 

The  observations  which  1  have  made  are  remark- 
ably exemplified  in  the  instance  of  the  deluge.  It 
cannot  be  said,  that  of  this  awful  and  wide-spread 
calamity  there  were  no  intimations  given  to  men. 
They  were  warned  of  its  approach ;  but  being 
altogether  incredulous,  it  was  to  them  utterly 
unexpected  ;  and  it  furnishes  a  melancholy  subject 
of  contemplation,  to  consider  the  awful  scene  which 
must  have  been  then  presented.  On  one  day,  there 
was,  save  in  a  single  family,  all  that  confidence  in 
the  continuance  of  the  existing  state  of  things, 
which  we  now  cherish.  Men  enjoyed  the  gratifi- 
cations of  the  present  hour,  and  looked  forward  to 
many  and  distant  pleasures  as  we  do.  According 


SER.  3.  THE  RICH  MAN.  43 

to  the  practice  of  men  in  every  age,  they  formed 
plans  for  the  future  and  images  of  happiness  to 
come.  That  any  extraordinary  visitation  of  Provi- 
dence would  thwart  all  their  schemes  and  expecta- 
tions, they  did  not  believe  ;  and  in  that  age,  the 
period  for  natural  death  was  deferred  long  beyond 
the  limits  to  which  it  is  now  affixed.  On  the  one 
day,  such  was  the  state  of  mankind ;  on  the  next, 
the  causes  had  began  to  operate  by  which  the 
submersion  of  the  earth  was  to  be  effected.  Doubt- 
less, the  extent  to  which  they  would  proceed,  was 
not  at  first  apprehended.  But  when  this  was  fully 
understood ;  when  there  remained  no  longer  any 
possibility  to  doubt  concerning  the  impending  ruin 
of  the  human  race  ;  when  the  waters  were  spreading 
and  deepening  in  their  course  ;  when  one  eminence 
after  another  was  becoming  covered  by  a  boundless 
ocean ;  when  the  globe's  beautiful  surface  was 
hidden  from  the  eyes  of  men  ;  when  its  productions 
necessary  to  their  subsistence  were  destroyed,  and 
they  had  not  where  to  rest  their  feet; — how  complete 
was  the  change  in  their  circumstances  !  how  awful 
and  sudden  the  transition  of  feeling  which  they 
experienced  !  Their  joys  and  hopes  were  gone  ; 
they  were  left  in  utter  desolation ;  evil  had  come 
upon  them  when  they  were  least  expecting  it ; 
destruction  was  before  them  and  deliverance  was 
hopeless.  Oh,  how  deep  must  have  been  their  regret ! 
how  poignant  their  remorse  !  and  yet  how  unavailing 


44  THE  RICH  MAN.  SER.  3. 

were  both,  when  they  remembered,  that  of  those 
calamities  they  were  warned,  that  by  repentance 
they  might  have  been  averted. 

My  brethren,  I  have  adduced  the  instance  of 
those  who  perished  by  this  judgment  of  the 
Almighty,  to  assist  you  in  conceiving  how  greatly 
increased  any  calamity  is  by  its  coming  on  us 
unexpectedly.  The  same  object  will  be  answered, 
by  directing  your  attention  to  the  parable  from 
which  the  text  is  taken ;  and,  while  considering  it, 
we  may  derive  from  it  that  important  instruction 
which  it  is  designed  to  convey.  How  terrible  was 
the  surprise,  which  he,  to  whom  the  declaration  of 
the  text  was  directed,  must  have  experienced. 
"  This  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee." 
This  early  and  sudden  termination  of  his  earthly 
career,  was  that  concerning  which  he  least  of  all 
thought,  and  for  which  he  was  most  unprovided. 
He  felt  that  he  was  affluent ;  he  apprehended  no 
reverse,  and  determined  to  be  happy.  Short-sighted 
mortal !  His  vision  of  happiness  was  a  fallacious 
one.  He  was  confident  of  security  at  a  time  when 
in  most  imminent  danger.  It  was  his  portion  to  be 
surprised  by  death,  and  to  meet  it  in  an  unprepared 
state.  What  were  the  circumstances  which  induced 
this  state  of  things  ?  They  are  stated  in  the  par- 
able. The  evil  is  noted  to  which  their  existence 
may  be  referred.  "Beware  of  covetousness,"  says 
our  divine  Teacher ;  of  that  inordinate,  increasing 


SER.  3.  THE    RICH    MAN.  45 

and  restless  desire  of  this  world's  goods.  And  why 
is  this  injunction  given?  By  what  reason  is  it 
supported  ?  By  this  simple  fact,  that  a  man's  life 
consists  not  in — is  not  secured  by  the  abundance  of 
the  things  which  he  possesseth.  In  illustration  of 
this  truth,  the  parable  was  spoken.  An  individual 
had  been  exceedingly  prosperous.  Elated  with  his 
success,  he  anticipated  a  more  abundant  measure  of 
it ;  but  the  term  of  his  life  was  fixed,  and  to  pro- 
long it  all  his  treasures  were  utterly  useless. 

Let  us  more  particularly  observe  the  circum- 
stances of  this  man,  with  the  influence  which  they 
exerted  upon  his  mind. 

Providence  had  remarkably  blessed  his  exertions. 
The  product  of  his  fields  was  so  abundant,  that  his 
former  store-houses  were  insufficient  to  contain 
them.  Now  remark  the  effect  which  was  produced 
upon  him.  In  the  first  place,  increase  of  wealth 
produced  an  increase  of  care.  This  is  a  natural 
circumstance  ;  but,  although  it  may  serve  to  dimin- 
ish the  pleasure  consequent  on  the  attainment  of  pros- 
perity, it  does  not  imply  any  criminality  in  its  sub- 
jects. It  is  to  be  dreaded,  principally,  on  account 
of  the  withdrawal  of  our  attention  from  more  im- 
portant subjects,  by  which  it  is  commonly  distin- 
guished. We  cannot,  however,  speak  thus  lighty  of 
another  effect  which  was  produced  upon  the  man  in 
the  parable.  He  became  a  voluptuary,  and  his  folly 
was  only  equalled  by  his  criminality.  Note  the 


46  THE    RICH    MAN.  SER.  3. 

confidence  with  which  he  was  filled,  the  idea 
which  he  entertained  of  his  situation.  "  Soul, 
thou  hast  much  goods  laid  up  for  many  years." 
He  thought  not  of  the  numerous  accidents,  as  he 
would  say — visitations  of  Providence,  as  we  should 
call  them,  by  which  these  temporal  possessions 
might  be  wrested  from  him.  Still  less  did  he 
consider  that  the  soul  was  but  a  visitant  here,  and 
that  it  might  be  suddenly  called  to  its  final  habita- 
tion, while  its  treasures  on  earth  were  yet  unwasted. 
For,  perishable  as  they  are,  human  life  is  often- 
times still  more  fleeting.  But  happy  had  been 
this  man,  if  to  him  the  charge  of  folly  were  alone 
applicable.  This  was  far  from  being  the  case.  To 
his  conduct,  guilt,  great  and  indubitable,  was 
attached.  God  had  been  good  to  him,  therefore 
was  his  benefactor  forgotten.  Want  was  obviated, 
affluence  bestowed,  and  a  course  of  conduct  in 
opposition  to  the  divine  will  was  deliberately 
adopted.  For  what  was  his  determination  ?  "  Soul, 
take  thine  ease  ;  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry."  Be 
not  concerned  about  any  disagreeable  duties. 
Cherish  no  apprehensions  in  regard  to  the  conse- 
quences of  neglecting  them.  Indulge,  without 
restraint,  the  appetites  ;  live  in  the  midst  of  foolish 
mirth  ;  in  a  word,  think  as  little  of  God  and  be  as 
much  devoted  to  pleasure  as  possible.  My  friends, 
how  must  such  an  one  stand  in  the  view  of  the 
Almighty  ?  Doubtless,  in  the  divine  mind,  there 


SER.  3.  THE    RICH    MAN.  47 

might  exist  a  feeling  of  pity  in  reference  to  this 
foolish  presumption  ;  but  a  much  stronger  feeling 
must  be,  displeasure  against  such  wickedness. 
Therefore  does  the  parable  represent  God  as 
exclaiming,  "  Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall 
be  required  of  thee  " — at  once  condemning  his 
conduct  and  resolving  to  punish  it.  This  sentence 
was  not,  perhaps,  immediately  conveyed  to  the 
individual  interested  ;  it  was,  in  the  first  instance, 
a  reflection  as  well  as  determination  in  the  mind 
of  Him  who  knows  and  directs  all  things,  illus- 
trating the  vanity  of  human  hopes  and  expectations. 
And  he,  whose  earthly  course  was  foreseen  to  be  so 
nearly  run,  might  be  left  a  little  longer  to  indulge 
his  dream  of  security,  insensible  to  danger,  until 
dreadful  reality  should  flash  upon  his  view,  and 
leave  not  one  short  moment  to  prepare  for  obeying 
the  summons. 

The  soul  was  then  suddenly  required.  The 
body  came  from1  earth  and  will  return  to  it  again, 
until  the  great  day  of  the  resurrection  ;  but  our 
spiritual  part  came  from  God,  and  will  pass  imme- 
diately into  his  presence,  where  an  account  must 
be  rendered,  awful  in  its  circumstances  and  mo- 
mentous in  its  consequences.  And  how  could  the 
miserable  man,  whose  case  we  are  considering, 
prepare  for  this  reckoning  ?  We  observe  in  his 
previous  character  a  total  want  of  preparation ;  a 
state  implying  not  merely  the  absence  of  all  good, 


48  THE    RICH    MAN.  SER.  3. 

but  the  presence  of  much  evil.  Say  that  from  the 
denunciation  of  approaching  calamity  until  its  inflic- 
tion, a  few  hours  might  intervene.  A  danger  so 
imminent  would  produce  a  stupefaction  of  mind. 
It  could  not  recover  itself  sufficiently  to  appre- 
hend its  situation,  or  to  adopt  the  requisite 
means  of  security,  were  they  even  at  hand.  He, 
then,  who  is  so  unhappily  situated,  if  at  all  apprized 
of  the  nature  of  the  evil  he  is  about  to  encounter, 
must  die  in  great  terror  ;  and  he  will  certainly  pass 
to  an  awful  recompense.  And  so  terminated  the 
career  of  the  rich  man  in  the  parable  ;  and  thus, 
remarks  our  heavenly  Teacher,  is  it  with  all  those 
who  lay  up  treasures  for  themselves,  but  are  not 
rich  toward  God.  So  they  act,  and  such  is  the  end 
to  which  they  shall  come. 

We  can  look  around  us,  my  brethren,  in  the 
world  with  which  we  mingle,  and  perceive  many, 
who,  while  they  are  deeply  solicitous  about  tem- 
poral things,  are  in  no  degree  rich  toward  God, 
nor  manifest  any  concern  about  this  deficiency. 
Others  there  are,  who,  sometimes  remembering  their 
Creator,  make  a  feeble  attempt  to  acquire  some- 
thing of  which  he  will  approve  ;  but  their  strong, 
and  uniform,  and  persevering  exertions  respect 
another  object.  They  are  determined  to  possess 
this  at  all  hazards  ;  the  favor  of  God  may  be  gained, 
if  a  few  feeble  and  transient  efforts  will  suffice 
for  it.  These  will  fall  into  the  same  condemnation 


SER.  3.  THE    RICH    MAN.  49 

with  those  first  mentioned.  Here,  then,  is  a 
certain  character  portrayed,  which  has  too  many 
resemblances  in  real  life,  and  which  has  connected 
with  it  a  most  melancholy  end.  It  becomes  us,  in 
contemplating  it,  to  derive  lessons  for  the  regulation 
of  our  own  conduct. 

We  should,  therefore,  guard  most  carefully  against 
too  high  and  exclusive  attention  to  our  worldly 
interests.  Such  an  attention  chills  the  benevolent 
feelings  and  degrades  human  character,  and  on 
these  accounts  would  be  severely  condemned  by 
the  moralist.  But  there  are  additional  and  far 
more  important  reasons,  which  should  induce  the 
Christian  to  reprobate  and  avoid  it.  Covetousness 
in  the  context  does  not  mean  the  eager  desire  of 
acquiring  treasure  merely  to  hoard  it  up,  but  it 
refers  to  the  thirst  for  the  acquisition  of  wealth, 
even  if  it  were  with  the  intention  of  dissipating  it 
immediately.  With  this  disposition  of  mind,  whether 
gratified  or  otherwise,  there  is  always  associated  a 
multiplicity  of  cares,  which  interfere  with  religious 
duty  and  lead  to  such  a  state  of  the  feelings  as 
unfits  for  its  performance.  To  say  the  least,  there- 
fore, it  is  neglected  ;  if  the  individual  in  ques- 
tion does  not  become  more  wicked,  his  religious 
improvement  cannot  take  place.  But,  generally 
speaking,  he  does  not  remain  stationary.  The 
earnest  and  exclusive  pursuit  of  wealth  is  ordinarily 
attended  by  success.  He  who,  possessing  no 
7 


50  THE    RICH    MAN.  SER.  3. 

redeeming  or  controlling  principle  in  his  nature, 
becomes  rich,  is  affected  as  was  the  man  in  the 
parable.  He  is  intoxicated  with  prosperity ;  he 
presumes  upon  its  continuance  ;  he  is  forgetful  of 
the  God  who  made  him ;  he  may  sink  into  indolent 
voluptuousness,  or  he  may  run  to  every  excess  of 
riotous  indulgence.  Under  any  of  these  circum- 
stances, the  soul  becomes  guilty,  is  unprepared  for 
futurity  and  will  perish  forever.  Take  heed,  then, 
how  you  lay  up  treasures  for  yourselves.  Doubt- 
less this  may  be  done  innocently,  and  so  far  from 
proving  detrimental  to  you,  will  not  only  increase 
your  enjoyment,  but  afford  you  many  opportunities 
of  doing  good.  And  such  is  the  legitimate  use  of 
riches  obtained  in  a  proper  manner.  But  not  such 
is  the  case  with  all  men.  Their  conduct  you  should 
avoid.  The  cares  of  the  world  and  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  riches  should  not  prevent  the  performance 
of  religious  duty,  nor  induce  an  inattention  to  the 
solemn  realities  with  which  we  shall  be  conversant 
hereafter.  And  while  consistently  with  the  Divine 
will,  you  seek  temporal  prosperity,  forget  not  the 
unspeakable  importance  of  being  rich  toward  God. 
To  him  this  character  belongs,  who,  knowing  the 
will  of  God,  sincerely  desires  to  practice  it,  whose 
affections  are  fervent  and  pious,  to  whom  righteous- 
ness is  reckoned  on  account  of  his  faith,  and  whose 
faith  brings  forth  the  fruits  of  Christian  piety. 
God  will  regard  such  with  approbation,  will  receive 


SER.  3.  THE    RICH    MAN.  51 

them  to  his  favor  now,  and  more  abundantly  bless 
them  hereafter  ;  and  if  you  are  thus  possessed  of 
the  true  riches,  death  may  come  to  you  unexpect- 
edly, but  it  will  not  find  you  unprepared. 

The  specific  object  of  the  parable,  then,  is  to 
show  the  unhappiness  of  those  who  lay  up  treasures 
to  themselves  but  are  not  rich  toward  God.  To 
such  it  furnishes  a  solemn  subject  of  consideration, 
and  upon  them  it  should  be  deeply  impressed. 
The  parable  'is,  however,  full  of  instruction  to  all 
who  cherish  a  mistaken  idea  of  the  permanency  of 
temporal  good.  For  how  affecting  and  yet  how 
true  is  the  picture  which  it  affords  of  the  instability 
of  all  earthly  possessions  ;  how  striking  is  the 
demonstration  given  of  the  impotence  of  man  to 
control  his  future  lot,  of  his  folly  in  attempting  to 
project  it.  Yet  the  truth  which  it  teaches  is  not 
one  which  would  be  learned  by  an  observation  of 
the  general  conduct  of  men.  They  rarely  reflect, 
and  they  still  more  rarely  embody  the  reflection  in 
words,  that  the  future  is  altogether  beyond  the 
control  of  man.  We  may  form  our  plans,  confi- 
dently anticipate  a  favorable  result,  which  may  also 
often  take  place,  yet  of  this  we  have  no  security  ; 
the  most  bitter  disappointment  may  succeed  the 
most  highly  raised  hopes ;  the  most  plausible 
schemes  fail  utterly.  Yet  do  not  many  take  these 
things  into  view  ;  they  speak  as  if  every  thing  were 


52  THE    RICH    MAN.  SER.  3. 

in  their  power  ;  life,  health,  favorable  circumstances, 
— the  blessing  which  gives  success.  Strange  error  ! 
fatal  mistake.  They  should  in  reference  to  every 
undertaking,  say,  at  least  internally,  if  God  will, 
this  shall  I  do.  Time  is  not  our  own  ;  vigor  does 
not  dwell  in  our  limbs  as  long  as  we  desire  it ; 
death  will  not  recede  from  us  as  we  may  will  it  to 
do.  God  is  our  disposer ;  in  his  hands  is  the  alter- 
native of  life  or  death  ;  what  his  decision  may  be 
concerning  us,  we  know  not,  nor,  had  we  such 
knowledge,  could  we  reverse  it.  Seeing,  then, 
such  is  the  condition  of  human  nature  in  this  life, 
there  is  the  greatest  wisdom  in  the  admonition  of 
the  apostle — "  But  this  I  say,  brethren,  the  time  is 
short  ;  it  remaineth  that  those  that  weep  be  as 
though  they  wept  not ;  and  they  that  rejoice  as 
though  they  rejoiced  not;  and  they  that  buy  as 
though  they  bought  not ;  and  they  that  use  this 
world  as  not  abusing  it ;  for  the  fashion  of  this 
world  passeth  away." 

With  the  degree  of  uncertainty  which  charac- 
terizes all  terrene  affairs,  it  becomes  us  to  sit  loosely 
in  reference  to  them,  and  to  stand  prepared  for  life 
or  death,  as  the  providence  of  God  may  determine. 
It  is  wise  thus  to  act,  for  it  will  be  attended  with 
the  happiest  consequences  ;  we  shall  not  be  afraid 
of  sudden  destruction,  or  if  human  nature  must 
shrink  from  the  approach  of  the  last  enemy,  yet  the 


SER.  3.  THE    RICH    MAN.  53 

agony  will  issue,  not  in  confirmed  wretchedness  but 
in  glorious  and  durable  happiness.  When  our  souls 
are  required  by  the  Almighty  Judge,  we  shall  be 
ready  to  present  them,  conscious  that  we  have 
relied  on  his  mercy,  and  trusting  that  the  merits  of 
Christ  will  render  them  acceptable. 


54 


SERMON    IV. 


THE  SINNER'S  DESTRUCTION  CERTAIN. 


EZEKIEL    XXXlii.    11. 

Say  unto  them,  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked ;  but  that  the  wicked 
turn  from  his  way  and  live:  turn  ye,  turn  ye  from  your 
evil  ways  ;  for  why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israeli 

UNDER  the  pressure  of  present  evils,  men  often 
utter  complaints  against  Providence  ;  and  while 
referring  to  the  future  recompense  awaiting  the 
wicked,  they  murmur  against  the  equity  of  the 
divine  dispensations.  The  principle  whence  these 
complaints  and  murmurings  arise,  is  natural  to  the 
human  heart  in  its  present  condition.  Its  operation 
was  remarked  at  the  period  when  the  individual 
whose  words  we  have  recited,  prophesied  in  the 
name  of  Jehovah.  There  were  Jews  who,  involved 
in  captivity  and  its  attendant  calamities,  were 


SER.  4.         THE  SINNER'S  DESTRUCTION.  55 

disposed  to  trace  these  evils  to  any  other  source 
than  their  own  misconduct.  It  was  not  that  they 
had  been  guilty,  but  that  their  fathers  had  been  so — 
and  that  God  had  inflicted  upon  the  former  the 
chastisement  due  to  the  latter,  or  that  he  had 
causelessly  involved  them  in  wretchedness.  Against 
this  presumptuous  and  impious  charge,  the  protes- 
tation of  the  text  is  directed.  Let  us  first  consider 
by  how  solemn  a  pledge  this  declaration  is  sup- 
ported— "  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God."  The 
truth  of  the  statement  is  as  certain  as  the  existence 
of  Jehovah.  It  is  confirmed  by  the  oath  of  that 
glorious  Being,  who  since  he  can  swear  by  no 
greater  one,  has  sworn  by  himself.  Consider  next 
the  fact  asserted,  that  "  he  has  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  the  wicked." 

It  is  not  to  gratify  any  malevolent  disposition  in 
the  divine  mind,  that  men  endure  misery  here  or 
hereafter.  Even  when  justice  and  enlightened 
benevolence,  regarding  the  good  of  the  whole,  re- 
quire the  punishment  of  individuals,  yet  is  not 
that  act  of  severity  in  itself  gratifying  to  the  infi- 
nite Judge.  On  the  contrary,  he  rejoices  over  the 
return  of  his  creatures  to  righteousness  ;  he  has 
pleasure  when  his  own  glory  and  authority — the 
good  of  the  universe — and  the  private  happiness  of 
every  man,  are  consistent  with  each  other.  This  is 
the  statement  by  which  the  solemn  admonition 
before  us  is  prefaced,  and  we  may  have  occasion 


56  THE  SINNER'S  SER.  4. 

again  to  recur  to  it.  I  would  now  however  proceed 
to  observe,  that  there  is  a  great  and  interesting  truth 
implied  in  the  passage  under  view.  It  is  this  : — 
"  That  without  conversion  our  destruction  is  inevit- 
able." This  is  only  expressing  in  other  language 
the  alternative  mentioned,  "  turn  or  die." 

In  urging  this  subject  upon  those  of  my  auditors 
who  have  not  yet  attended  to  the  great  concern  of 
religion,  1  would  first  represent  to  you  "that  you  are 
sinners."  That  God  is  a  being  of  righteousness  and 
purity,  and  that  he  interests  himself  in  human  affairs, 
are  truths  not  more  certain  than  that  mankind,  while 
in  their  natural  state,  are  very  far  from  receiving  his 
approbation.  It  is  known  that  there  exists  in  the 
minds  of  some,  an  indisposition  to  admit  the  general 
depravity  and  sinfulness  of  our  species.  The  as- 
sertion of  this  fact  is  said  to  be  the  result  either  of  a 
censorious  disposition,  or  of  gloomy  and  mistaken 
views  of  human  life  and  character.  It  is  never- 
theless in  accordance  with  the  declarations  of  that 
infinite  wisdom  which  is  perfectly  acquainted  with 
us,  with  our  propensities,  with  our  actions.  That 
men  universally  are  not  grossly  wicked  is  admitted. 
That  there  is  apparent  in  the  world  much  that  is 
amiable  and  useful,  and  that  human  nature  in  its 
unimproved  state  has  exhibited  high  examples  of 
paternal,  filial  and  conjugal  affection,  of  devoted 
friendship,  of  irreproachable  integrity  and  general 
kindness,  is  also  freely  allowed.  Still,  placing  out 


SER.  4.  DESTRUCTION    CERTAIN.  57 

of  view  entirely  the  crimes  which  are  perpetrated 
against  society,  and  omitting  to  consider  the  multi- 
farious offences  of  a  less  odious  character  which  on 
all  sides  meet  the  eye,  it  can  be  made  to  appear  that 
without  religion,  without  piety  to  God,  the  most 
exemplary  character  that  ever  was  observed  is 
marked  by  a  fearful  deficiency. 

Allow  me  in  establishing  this  fact,  to  bring  the 
matter  home  to  you,  by  making  an  appeal  to  your 
own  consciences.  I  shall  not  then  charge  any  one 
of  you  with  being  dissolute  in  your  habits ;  with 
being  intemperate  in  the  gratification  of  your  appe- 
tites ;  with  invading  the  possessions  of  others  by 
fraud  or  violence  ;  or  with  disturbing  in  any  serious 
degree  their  happiness.  On  the  contrary,  I  shall 
suppose  you  moral  in  your  conduct,  upright  in  all 
your  intercourse  with  the  world,  generally  benev- 
olent in  your  feelings.  It  shall  be  admitted  that 
you  perform  almost  every  social  duty; — and  yet  you 
are  wanting.  Where  is  a  reverence  toward  the  glo- 
rious Being  who  formed  you — a  reverence  marked 
in  your  whole  deportment  ?  Where  is  your  love 
and  where  your  gratitude  to  Him  from  whom  you 
derive  all  things  ?  What  are  the  external  demon- 
strations of  regard  which  you  exhibit  ?  Where  is 
your  obedience  to  the  indications  of  his  revealed 
will  ?  Have  you  rendered  obedience  to  that  com- 
mand which  requires  you  to  honor  the  Son  even  as 
you  honor  the  Father  ?  Have  you  inclined  your 
8 


58  THE  SINNER'S  SER.  4. 

ear  to  the  instructions  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  obeyed 
his  injunctions?  We  do  not  perceive  in  you  these 
indications  of  piety  toward  God — a  duty  which 
reason  as  well  as  revelation  enforces,  and  the  neglect 
of  which  is  an  evil  of  the  most  serious  character. 
And  is  it  a  trivial  matter  to  be  thoughtless  of  the 
Almighty  and  negligent  of  his  service  ?  Surely  not ! 
It  is  a  failure  to  answer  the  very  end  for  which  we 
were  created.  If  God  be  a  father,  is  he  not  to  be 
honored  ?  If  a  master,  is  he  not  to  be  feared  ?  If 
he  be  all  perfect,  should  we  not  adore  him  ?  If  he 
be  all  merciful,  should  we  not  love  him  ? 

Who  then,  even  of  the  most  virtuous  among  you, 
that  is  not  a  Christian,  can  say,  I  have  performed  my 
duties  to  my  God  ?  Who  of  you  shall  presume  to 
say  to  the  most  Holy  One,  "judge  me  according  to 
what  I  have  done?"  There  is  none.  Against  every 
man  the  charge  of  transgression  lies.  The  guilt  of 
some  is  of  a  more  appalling  character — but  in  every 
instance  it  is  sufficiently  dreadful. 

2.  But  if  it  be  true  that  you  are  sinners,  it  is 
equally  so  "  that  destruction  awaits  you."  It  is  an 
awful  delusion  which  men  often  cherish,  that  God  is 
not  strict  in  marking  their  iniquities — that  the 
consequences  of  sin  are  not  of  so  alarming  a  char- 
acter as  they  are  represented  to  be.  When  we 
consider  how  excellent,  how  conducive  to  our  hap- 
piness, is  that  law  which  requires  our  observance — 
how  glorious  is  that  being  who  enjoins  obedience  to 


SER.  4.  DESTRUCTION    CERTAIN.  69 

jt — how  forcibly  gratitude  as  well  as  reason  incul- 
cates this  obedience — surely  transgression  and  im- 
piety cannot  be  deemed  trivial  matters.  On  the 
contrary,  sin  must  be  viewed  as  involving  great 
guilt,  and  carrying  with  it  alarming  consequences. 
Such  has  been  the  natural  judgment  of  the  human 
heart  in  instances  innumerable.  We  can  trace  it  in 
those  fears  in  which  have  originated  all  the  super- 
stitions which  have  prevailed  in  the  world.  We 
have  observed  mankind,  conscious  of  the  merited 
displeasure  of  the  superior  powers,  submit  to  rites 
the  most  burdensome,  and  make  sacrifices  the  most 
costly. 

Entirely  conformed  to  this  natural  sentiment  are 
the  declarations  contained  in  the  Almighty's  revealed 
will.  We  are  taught  to  believe  that  the  wages  of 
sin  are  death  and  its  consequences,  which  although 
now  unseen,  are  most  awful.  We  are  not  permitted 
to  believe  that  the  holy  God  regards  iniquity  with 
the  least  allowance.  It  is  apparent  that  the  very 
benevolence  of  his  nature  calls  for  the  exemplary 
punishment  of  the  sinner.  There  is  a  judgment  to 
come — there  is  a  future  recompense  consequent 
upon  that  judgment ;  and  the  disapproved  shall  be 
cast  into  outer  darkness,  where  there  are  wailing 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Destruction  therefore  awaits 
those  of  you  who  are  yet  in  your  sins ;  and  without 
conversion  that  destruction  is  inevitable. 

Let  us  inquire  whether  there  be  any  other  means 


60  THE  SINNER'S  SER.  4. 

bj  which  the  impending  calamity  can  be  averted. 
Can  wealth  or  learning — can  power  or  distinction 
save  you  ?  These  are  the  "gifts"  of  God — their 
continuance  dependent  on  his  will,  and  their  pos- 
session utterly  insufficient  to  recommend  us  to  his 
regard.  You  are  rich  in  this  world's  goods — every 
want  is  provided  for — every  luxury  is  within  your 
grasp.  Are  you  therefore  secure  ?  Will  your  riches 
save  you  ?  Oh  no  !  Death  will  not  spare  you — 
others  will  inherit  your  possessions,  while  you  stand 
naked,  stript  of  every  defence,  before  the  tribunal  of 
Jehovah.  You  are  wise  and  learned — you  have 
mastered  every  science — your  mind  has  become 
enriched  with  knowledge — you  have  acquired  a 
superiority  over  your  fellow  creatures,  and  pride 
and  presumption  have  entered  into  your  bosom. 
You  have  become  wise  above  what  is  written  in  the 
scriptures  of  truth.  You  have  discovered  that  reli- 
gious duty  is  something  of  easy  performance — that 
God  is  all  mercy — that  the  fear  of  hell  is  an  idle 
imagination.  But  you  will  not  be  exempted  from 
the  necessity  of  death.  It  is  appointed  to  all  men 
to  die,  and  after  that,  however  you  may  have 
fancied  it  to  be  otherwise,  is  the  "  judgment." 
Vengeance  will  be  taken  upon  all  those,  however 
elevated  in  station,  or  invested  with  power,  or  dis- 
tinguished for  wisdom,  who  know  not  God  and 
obey  not  the  gospel.  What  is  all  the  greatness  of 
earth  when  compared  with  the  grandeur  which  will 


SER.    4.  DESTRUCTION    CERTAIN.  ,        61 

invest  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ  ?  What  is  all 
human  power  when  brought  into  collision  with  that 
which  formed  and  upholds  the  universe  ?  What  is 
man's  goodness  when  scrutinized  by  Him  who  is 
infinitely  holy  ? 

Seeing  then  you  are  sinners,  that  destruction 
awaits  you,  and  that  this  destruction  is  inevitable 
without  conversion,  let  me  apply  to  you  the  affecting 
inquiry,  "Why,  why  will  ye  die?"  You  cannot  say 
it  is  because  the  Almighty  wills  your  destruction ! 
Hear  his  solemn  and  affecting  declaration.  "  As  I 
live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  the  wicked  ;  but  that  the  W7icked  turn  from 
his  way  and  live  :  turn  ye,  turn  ye  from  your  evil 
ways ;  for  why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ? " 
Do  you  charge  him  with  insincerity  in  this  protesta- 
tion ?  Where  are  the  evidences  by  which  this 
blasphemous  charge  can  be  substantiated  ?  Do  you 
sin  ignorant  of  the  consequences  ?  Are  you  com- 
pelled to  perpetrate  iniquity  ?  That  there  is  no 
physical  compulsion  is  obvious  ;  but  is  there  any 
influence  suited  to  man's  moral  nature  which  forces 
him  to  transgression  ?  There  is  none, — we  are 
swayed  by  the  influence  of  motives ;  and  the 
motives  to  practice  holiness  are  infinitely  greater 
than  those  to  indulge  in  sin.  There  is  moreover  a 
long  term  of  probation  allowed.  It  is  not  one  or 
many  transgressions  which  involve  us  in  hopeless 
condemnation.  The  Almighty  passes  by  many 


62  THE  SINNER'S  SER.  4. 

transgressions,  and  is  ever  ready  to  receive  to  his 
favor  the  returning  sinner.  Jehovah  therefore  has 
declared  that  he  has  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the 
sinner — all  his  dispensations  are  in  accordance  with 
this  declaration  ; — and  who  then  art  thou,  O  man, 
who  repliest  against  God  ?  The  reason  of  the 
sinner's  destruction  is  to  be  found  in  himself. 
There  are  several  things  which  are  instrumental  in 
producing  this  disastrous  result;  and  there  is  an  im- 
aginary good  in  exchange,  for  which  the  sinner  sacri- 
fices the  only  true  felicity.  These  instruments  of 
his  ruin  are  thoughtlessness,  pride,  the  love  of 
pleasure. 

Many  perish  through  thoughtlessness.  It  is 
impossible  to  gain  from  them  a  serious  atten- 
tion to  the  things  which  relate  to  their  immortal 
welfare.  They  can  never  be  made  to  look  be- 
yond the  present  moment,  —  they  "would  not" 
sacrifice  their  souls  for  present  gratification  if  they 
were  aware  of  this. fact;  but,  from  levity  and  want 
of  reflection,  they  are  kept  in  ignorance  of  the 
awful  evils  awaiting  them,  until  their  salvation  is 
impossible. 

Pride  is  to  many  others  the  source  of  destruc- 
tion. They  cannot  acknowledge  that  they  are  as 
depraved  as  they  are  represented  to  be ; — the 
humbling  doctrines  of  the  gospel  are  an  offence  to 
them  ; — rejecting  the  scriptural  mode  of  salvation, 
they  desire  another  more  suited  to  their  own  appre- 


SER.  4.  DESTRUCTION    CERTAIN.  63 

hensions ; — being  ignorant  of  God's  righteousness, 
they  go  about  to  establish  their  own.  They  thus 
err  fatally,  in  overlooking  the  only  sure  ground  of 
hope,  and  they  must  perish. 

Others  who  are  lost,  fall  victims  to  the  "  love  of 
pleasure."  The  "  lust  of  the  flesh,"  the  "  lust  of 
the  eye,"  and  the  "  pride  of  life,"  are  the  instru- 
ments of  their  ruin.  The  indulgence  of  appetite — 
the  gratification  of  irregular  desires — the  possessions 
which  inspire  vanity  of  mind, — these  are  the  objects 
of  attention  and  solicitude ;  and  to  subdue  the  pas- 
sions, and  to  live  piously,  and  to  seek  the  favor  of 
God,  is  a  cheerless  task  ;  to  perform  which,  the 
lover  of  pleasure  has  no  heart.  It  is  in  this  way 
that  men  are  made  to  choose  death  rather  than  life  ; 
and  while  they  become  liable  to  this  terrible  evil, 
what  do  they  gain  ?  Nothing  but  the  pleasures  of 
earth,  which  are  unsatisfying  in  their  nature,  and 
short  and  uncertain  in  their  continuance,  and  which 
do  not  diminish  in  the  least  the  impending  calami- 
ties. 

Let  me  then  again  urge  upon  your  attention  the 
solemn  expostulation  of  Jehovah,  "  Turn  ye,  turn 
ye  ;  for  why  will  ye  die  ?" 

What  is  it  to  comply  with  this  command  and 
entreaty  ?  It  is,  so  far  as  possible,  to  renounce 
every  thing  which  does  not  possess  the  divine  appro- 
bation ;  to  seek  forgiveness  of  the  sins  which  are 
past ;  to  apply  the  mind  to  the  instructions  of  divine 


64  THE  SINNER'S  SER.  4. 

wisdom  ;  to  regulate  the  life  by  the  precepts  of  the 
gospel.  How  often  have  you  been  admonished  of 
this  duty  ?  how  often  urged  to  its  performance  ? 
and  how  have  you  been  affected  ?  Have  you  lis- 
tened incredulous  of  the  evils  of  which  you  have 
been  warned  ?  If  you  acknowledge  the  Scriptures 
as  true,  how  can  you  cherish  any  doubts  upon  this 
subject  ?  In  them  the  certain  doom  of  the  wicked 
is  fearfully  portrayed  ; — their  uniform  language  is, 
"  Oh  wicked  man,  thou  shalt  surely  die."  But  in 
reply  to  the  gospel  message,  have  you  said,  and  do 
you  now  say,  with  undecided  minds,  "  Go  thy  way 
for  this  time ;  at  a  more  convenient  season  we  will 
call  for  thee?"  How  often  have  you  thus  deferred 
an  attention  to  your  most  important  interest !  How 
do  you  trifle  with  that  interest !  what  guilt  and 
what  danger  attend  this  proceeding  !  This  more 
convenient  season  may  never  arrive,  and  then,  if  the 
Scriptures  do  not  err,  what  will  be  your  condition  ? 
But  have  you  been  for  a  time  affected  and  re- 
solved to  turn,  but  the  love  of  the  world  has  been 
restored  as  your  excitement  has  worn  off,  and  your 
goodness  has  been  as  the  morning  cloud  and  early 
dew,  which  pass  away  ?  We  mourn  exceedingly 
over  such  an  occurrence.  Nothing  so  grieves  the 
soul  of  those  who  labor  for  your  spiritual  good,  as 
to  witness  the  withering  of  these  buds  of  promise. 
Over  it,  perfected  saints  and  angels  weep,  if  tears 
be  ever  theirs.  In  view  of  it,  the  spirit  of  evil 


SER.  4.  DESTRUCTION  CERTAIN.  65 

triumphs,  and  exultation  pervades  his  gloomy  em- 
pire. 

May  God  in  his  mercy  grant  that  such  may  not 
be  the  passing  nature  of  any  impressions  which  may 
now  be  made.  Arid  may  every  one  who  has  not 
yet  made  his  peace  with  God,  engage  with  earnest- 
ness in  this  great  work,  remembering  that  the  night 
of  death  will  shortly  come,  when  the  season  of  pro- 
bation will  terminate  forever. 


66 


SERMON   V. 


NECESSITY  OF  SEEKING  TRUE  RELIGION. 


MATT.    vi.    33. 

But  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness, 
and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you. 

WHEN  John,  the  forerunner  of  our  Lord,  entered 
on  his  ministry,  his  declaration  was,  "  Repent,  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  He  had  refer- 
ence to  the  opening  of  a  new  dispensation,  when 
there  would  be  a  full  revelation  of  the  will,  an 
affecting  disclosure  of  the  mercy,  and  a  glorious 
exhibition  of  the  saving  power  of  the  Almighty. 
This  state  of  things  is  here  denominated,  the 
kingdom  of  heaven ;  elsewhere,  the  kingdom  of 
God.  It  is  thus  designated,  because  Jesus  Christ, 
by  the  performance  of  the  object  of  his  mission, 
has  established  on  earth  a  spiritual  dominion,  which, 


SER.  5.  SEEKING  TRUE  RELIGION.  67 

in  the  righteousness  and  peace  which  it  promotes, 
furnishes  some  representation  of  the  state  of 
heavenly  purity  and  happiness,  where  God  is 
revealed  in  the  fullness  of  his  majesty  and  the 
brightness  of  his  glory.  And  this  mode  of  expres- 
sion was  probably  induced  by  an  acquaintance  with 
a  sublime  prophecy  of  Daniel  vii.  13.  "  I  saw  in 
the  night  visions,  and,  behold,  one  like  the  Son  of 
man  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  came  to 
the  Ancient  of  days,  and  they  brought  him  near 
before  him.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion,  and 
glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and 
languages,  should  serve  him  :  his  dominion  is  an 
everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away, 
and  his  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed." 
Our  Redeemer  taught  his  disciples  to  pray  for  the 
coming  of  this  kingdom,  that  "  the  will  of  God 
might  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven  " — and  in 
his  sermon  on  the  Mount,  he  exhorts  them  "to  seek 
first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness." 

What  is  meant  by  seeking  this  kingdom  ?  and 
what  is  the  righteousness  here  spoken  of?  These 
are  questions  which  now  demand  our  consideration. 

Those  to  whom  our  Lord  addressed  this  ad- 
monition, would  understand  him  as  exhorting  them, 
instead  of  being  solicitous  about  inferior  things, 
to  expect  earnestly  the  full  manifestation  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  to  seek  a  knowledge  of  it  and 
subjection  to  it  as  far  as  revealed,  and  to  obtain 


68  NECESSITY  OF  SEEKING  SER.  5. 

the  righteousness  which  was  required  by  Jehovah 
to  render  them  acceptable.  This  righteousness 
involved  repentance,  and  the  natural  fruits  of  repen- 
tance, and  was  obtained  through  the  instrumentality 
of  that  faith,  which  is  the  appointed  means  of  sal- 
vation. 

But  how  does  this  injunction  respect  us  ?  Jesus 
Christ  has  fulfilled  his  ministry  on  earth  ;  his 
kingdom  has  been  established ;  its  laws  are  promul- 
gated ;  no  farther  revelation  is  to  be  expected ; 
all  that  remains,  is  that  its  borders  should  be 
extended.  To  us,  then,  the  language  of  the  text 
conveys  this  instruction.  Become  a  subject  of  this 
kingdom  by  repenting,  believing,  and  obeying  the 
gospel.  Let  your  anxiety  be,  in  the  first  place  and 
in  the  highest  degree,  directed  toward  this  object. 
Inferior  good  should  be  the  object  of  a  subordinate 
regard,  and  may  ordinarily  be  expected  to  attend 
the  subjects  of  the  divine  favor.  This,  then,  is  the 
design  which  I  have  had  in  calling  your  attention 
to  the  passage  of  Scripture  under  our  view  ;  to 
exhibit  the  supreme  importance  of  possessing  true 
religion,  and  to  urge  upon  you  the  necessity  of 
acquiring  it. 

On  the  present  occasion,  I  suppose  myself  to  be 
exclusively  addressing  professed  believers  in  the 
Christian  revelation.  Many  such  there  are  who  are 
not  pious  ;  and  with  them  I  would  confer  upon  their 
own  admitted  principles,  without  deviating  from  the 


SER.  5.  TRUE    RELIGION.  69 

principal  object,  in  order  to  combat  the  opinions  of 
unbelievers.  What  is  now  to  be  offered,  may  want 
the  attraction  of  novelty  ;  but  it  will  possess  the 
character  of  truth,  and  be  invested  with  solemnity 
and  importance  by  its  connection  with  the  future 
and  endless  destiny  of  man.  And  it  cannot  escape 
the  observation  of  any  reflecting  man,  that  we  re- 
quire not  so  much  to  be  informed  of  our  duty,  as  to 
be  exhorted  to  its  performance.  It  is  not  merely 
the  vail  of  ignorance  that  covers  the  human  un- 
derstanding which  is  to  be  rent ;  it  is  the  strong 
principle  of  depravity  in  the  heart  which  is  to  be 
subdued — a  principle  exceedingly  various  in  its 
operations,  sometimes  openly  resisting  the  impulse 
of  duty,  and  still  more  frequently  eluding  the  force 
of  the  motives  presented. 

Taking  then  the  Scriptures  for  our  guide,  whose 
authority  you  admit,  let  us  bestow  our  attention 
upon  some  facts  there  stated  ;  facts  which  are  suffi- 
ciently obvious,  but  to  which  you  do  not  perhaps 
give  that  solemn  consideration  which  they  deserve. 

1.  The  fact  to  which  I  would  first  refer  is,  that 
there  is  a  God,  most  holy,  who  maintains  a  moral 
government  over  his  creatures.  It  is  not  alone 
true  that  this  noble  frame  of  nature  has  a  glorious 
architect  whose  power  and  wisdom  we  may  admire, 
if  we  have  any  perception  of  what  is  grand  or 
beautiful,  and  are  not  wedded  to  the  grossness  of 
animal  enjoyment.  We  must  advance  a  step 


70  NECESSITY  OF  SEEKING  SER.  5. 

farther,  and  conceive  of  the  Supreme  Being  as  in- 
vested with  those  moral  attributes,  which  render 
him  more  illustrious  than  do  his  natural  perfections. 
Nor  are  our  apprehensions  of  God  to  be  confined 
within  these  limits.  He  has  not  created  a  world, 
and  neglected  to  govern  it.  While  his  providence 
upholds  it,  he  maintains  over  it  a  just  dominion — a 
dominion  not  asserted  merely  in  the  pages  of  revela- 
tion, but  confirmed  by  a  feeling  existing  in  every 
human  bosom,  which  declares  to  the  creature  his 
obligation  to  subserve  the  will  of  his  Creator. 

The  particular  application  of  this  truth  is,  that 
you,  and  I,  and  every  human  being,  are  subjects  of 
the  divine  government.  The  career  of  life  is  run 
under  the  inspection  of  infinite  knowledge  and 
perfect  holiness  —  the  moral  character  of  every 
action  is  noted  ;  and  with  all  our  merits  or  de- 
merits, we  are  finally  to  present  ourselves  before 
the  tribunal  of  our  Judge. 

2.  The  next  great  truth  to  which  our  solemn 
attention  should  be  directed  is,  that  we  are  depraved 
and  guilty.  In  all  parts  of  revelation,  this  fact  is 
asserted  or  implied.  But  need  we  have  recourse  to 
this  authority  ?  Is  our  real  character  so  liable  to 
be  mistaken,  that  we  must  look  to  revelation  for  an 
exposition  of  it  ?  No,  my  brethren.  Would  to  God 
it  were  ;  that  the  evidences  of  our  corrupted 
nature  and  forfeited  innocence  were  less  unambigu- 
ous. It  is  not  so.  Daily  do  we  feel  the  impulses 


SER.  5.  TRUE    RELIGION.  71 

of  depravity  —  continually  do  we  fail  in  entire 
obedience  to  our  Creator — often  have  we  sinned 
deeply  against  his  majesty  and  his  grace.  Is  there 
any  one  of  you  who  doubts  this  ?  You  have  then  per- 
fectly fulfilled  every  obligation  which  binds  you  to 
God  or  your  fellow  creatures.  You  have  loved  the 
former  with  all  your  heart,  and  served  him  with 
all  your  strength — you  have  been  perfectly  just  and 
perfectly  benevolent  toward  the  latter.  Can  you 
solemnly  assert  this  in  regard  to  yourselves  ?  Do 
you  behold  such  perfect  piety  and  virtue  exemplified 
in  the  holiest  Christian  ?  And,  then,  far  removed 
from  it  must  the  man  be  who  is  not  a  genuine 
Christian.  It  is  therefore  a  truth  to  which  our 
whole  experience  and  observation  give  confirmation, 
that  "  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory 
of  God."  You,  therefore,  are  sinners,  and  as  such, 
must  anticipate  judgment  with  terror ;  for  the 
consequence  of  judgment,  in  regard  to  every  man, 
is  the  entrance  on  perfect  happiness  or  the  subjection 
to  awful  wretchedness  ;  and  this  is  another  momen- 
tous truth,  which  I  beseech  you  to  weigh  maturely. 

As  surely  as  God  has  spoken  in  the  Scriptures,  so 
certainly  are  we  to  exist  hereafter,  and  so  certainly 
will  the  wicked  exist  in  awful  unhappiness.  It 
is  appointed  to  all  men  to  die,  and  after  that  is 
the  judgment. 

Here,  then,  you  are  called  to  reflect  upon  the 
subjects  suggested  ;  you  are  required  to  believe 


72  NECESSITY  OF  SEEKING  SER.  5. 

nothing  more  than  you  already  admit.  You  admit 
the  divine  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  and  it 
is  to  their  infallible  testimony  that  the  appeal 
is  made.  You  are  sinners  before  God  ;  you 
must  stand  in  judgment  before  him  ;  you  will 
receive  the  sentence  which  dooms  you  to  mis- 
ery, for  this  is  the  unavoidable  consequence  of 
unexpiated,  unforgiven  transgression.  Can  you 
entertain  the  least  doubt  in  regard  to  the  truth  of 
this  statement  ?  You  cannot  with  the  least  pro- 
priety. How  awful,  then,  is  the  condition  in 
which  you  are  !  how  great  the  infatuation  which 
admits  of  such  indifference  in  regard  to  it !  But, 
you  will  say,  that  God  is  merciful,  and  that,  there- 
fore, you  are  not  alarmed  with  respect  to  the  con- 
sequences of  your  sins.  True  it  is  that  God  is 
merciful — infinitely  so — otherwise  you  would  not 
be  spared  to  urge  this  plea  ;  justice  had  long  ere 
this  terminated  your  course  of  probation.  But 
how  does  this  mercy  operate  ?  to  whom  does  it 
finally  extend  ?  The  careless  sinner  is  long  the 
subject  of  it,  but  he  will  not  always  be  so.  Pardon, 
entire  exemption  from  the  consequences  of  iniquity, 
and  the  enjoyment  of  the  divine  favor,  are  only 
afforded  to  us  on  certain  conditions,  and  a  com- 
pliance with  these  conditions  constitutes  true 
religion,  and  it  is  the  inexpressible  importance  of 
possessing  this,  that  I  would  now  solemnly  incul- 
cate. 


SER.  5.  TRUE    RELIGION.  73 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  note  some  of  the  primary 
elements  of  true  religion  ;  and  in  doing  this,  shall 
have  occasion  to  show  that  their  existence  is  indis- 
pensable to  salvation. 

To  men  considered  as  involved  in  guilt  by 
their  transgression,  the  first  intimation  of  the  will 
of  God  is  that  which  enjoins  repentance  and  faith 
in  Christ.  These  were  the  great  duties  enforced 
by  the  apostles  of  the  Redeemer,  and  they  lie  at 
the  foundation  of  all  Christian  piety.  To  one 
who  has,  by  disobedience,  offended  his  sovereign, 
and  who  is  desirous  of  restoration  to  his  favor,  the 
first  idea  which  occurs  is,  to  humble  himself  at  the 
feet  of  violated  majesty.  This  humiliation  must 
spring  from  a  lively  sensibility  of  the  criminality 
of  his  conduct,  and  be  connected  with  a  determina- 
tion to  avoid  the  repetition  of  his  errors.  There  is 
thus  made  a  recognition  of  the  excellence  of  the 
divine  law,  and  of  the  Creator's  right  to  obedience  ; 
there  is  such  a  state  of  mind  induced  as  will  natur- 
ally lead  to  the  amendment  of  life.  The  duty  of 
repentance  is,  therefore,  imperiously  enjoined  in 
holy  writ.  "  Except  ye  repent  ye  shall  all  like- 
wise perish,"  is  an  awful  denunciation,  but  which 
is  in  strict  accordance  with  the  whole  tenor  of 
Scripture.  But  the  sorrow  for  past  sin  and  resolu- 
tions of  amendment  in  future,  which  constitute  true 
penitence,  are  not  alone  sufficient  for  our  salvation. 
Of  its  independent  efficacy  in  rendering  the 
10 


74  NECESSITY  OF  SEEKING  SER.  5. 

Almighty  propitious,  reason  suggests  very  strong 
doubts,  and  revelation  invests  them  with  the  char- 
acter of  certainty.  Repentance,  although  required 
by  God  and  exceedingly  appropriate  to  the  sinner's 
condition,  is  but  a  single  .advance  in  the  way  of 
life  ;  it  must  be  associated  with  faith  in  Christ. 
It  is  the  prerogative  of  the  Almighty  to  declare  the 
conditions  upon  which  his  favor  shall  be  extended. 
He  has  connected  forgiveness  with  an  humble 
reliance  on  the  mediation  of  one  who,  in  conformity 
with  the  divine  will,  died  to  make  atonement  for 
sin.  It  is  a  merciful  dispensation,  altogether  suited 
to  our  circumstances  of  impotence  and  wretched- 
ness. A  want  of  regard  to  its  provisions  will  be 
attended  with  fatal  consequences.  "  For  while  he 
that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life,  he 
that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but 
the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him." 

From  faith  and  repentance  proceed  all  the 
elements  of  Christian  piety.  He  who  has  expe- 
rienced these  exercises  of  the  mind,  is  prepared  to 
obey  the  will  of  God,  and  to  become  holy  in  his  life. 
In  relation  to  the  indispensable  necessity  of  this 
holiness,  numerous  testimonies  might  be  adduced 
from  holy  writ.  It  is  not  necessary  to  do  so.  It 
is  the  admitted  object  of  the  gospel  to  produce  the 
spiritual  renovation  and  moral  improvement  of  our 
race  ;  and  where  it  fails  in  producing  these  results, 
through  the  obduracy  of  those  to  whom  it  is 


1VF 

o 


SER.  5.  TRUE    RELIGION.  75 

preached,  the  consequence  must  be  their  abandon- 
ment to  destruction.  "  Without  holiness  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord."  "  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth, 
that  shall  he  also  reap ;  he  that  soweth  to  the 
flesh,  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption,  while  he 
that  soweth  to  the  Spirit,  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap 
life  everlasting." 

To  repent,  to  believe  the  gospel,  to  lead  a  life 
devoted  to  God,  are  the  duties  enjoined  on  us ; 
the  performance  of  them  will  prepare  the  way  for 
our  introduction  into  the  kingdom  of  God  above. 

Seek,  then,  this  happiness  and  the  qualifications 
for  it  as  your  highest  object.  Nothing  is  in  itself  so 
worthy  of  regard  ;  nothing  is  so  adapted  to  our 
wants.  The  promise  of  pardon  to  a  sinful  being, 
of  durable  happiness  to  an  immortal  one,  ought 
surely  to  be  most  interesting.  I  beseech  you,  there- 
fore, to  bring  your  minds  resolutely  to  the  contem- 
plation of  this  subject ;  say  to  yourselves — a  few 
years  shall  pass,  and  this  earth  shall  know  me  no 
more  ;  but  a  little  while  and  I  pass  under  the  view 
of  my  Judge,  and  receive  the  recompense  of  the 
just  or  the  unjust.  I  have  now  two  courses  of  life 
marked  out  to  my  view,  the  one  leading  to  ultimate 
happiness  of  the  highest  degree,  but  attended  with  a 
few  present  privations  ;  the  other  attractive  at  its 
entrance,  but  issuing  in  final  wretchedness.  Upon 
which  of  these  courses  shall  I  enter  ?  Can  you 
make  this  a  subject  of  deliberation  for  a  moment  ? 


76  SEEKING  TRUE  RELIGION.  SER.  5. 

Does  not  a  regard  to  happiness,  the  most  powerful 
motive  to  action,  impel  you  to  make  a  prompt 
decision  ?  You  do  make  a  decision.  You  are 
convinced  that  the  favor  of  God  is  supremely  desi- 
rable ;  you  are  resolved  you  will  seek  it.  But 
when  will  you  do  this  ?  Here  lies  your  fatal  error, 
whose  consequences  are  oftentimes  irretrievable. 

You  will  become  pious  when  the  morning  of  life 
is  past.  Then  you  persuade  yourselves  you  will 
be  satiated  with  pleasure ;  the  passions  will  flow  in 
a  more  even  current  and  the  restraints  of  religion 
can  be  better  tolerated.  But  you  remember  not, 
that  indulgence  in  sin  while  it  confirms  evil  pro- 
pensities, gives  a  death  blow  to  the  few  remaining 
purposes  of  good  ;  and,  above  all,  you  do  not  con- 
sider that  the  morning  of  life  may  be  all  that  is 
afforded  to  you.  But  you  have  attained  the  meridian 
of  life  and  you  are  still  destitute  of  religion.  You 
therefore  resolve  to  reserve  the  great  concern  of 
reconciliation  with  your  God  for  the  cheerful  period 
of  old  age,  and  for  the  bed  of  affliction  and  death. 
But  the  mandate  of  Jehovah  is  issued.  You  are 
cut  off  in  the  midst  of  your  days  ;  the  great  duty 
of  life  is  unperformed  ;  the  consequence  is  the  loss 
of  your  souls.  These  are  awful  considerations ;  I 
pray  you  to  weigh  them  maturely;  and  may  the 
God  of  grace  grant  you  repentance,  reconcile  you 
to  himself  and  fit  you  for  his  kingdom. 


77 


SERMON    VI. 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS. 


NUMBERS    XXIII.   10. 

Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous  ;  and  let  my  last  end 
be  like  his  ! 

THE  history  of  the  individual  whose  exclamation 
has  just  been  recited,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
in  the  sacred  volume.  It  has  been  thought  strange 
that  the  gift  of  prophecy  should  have  been  bestowed 
upon  one  who  was  obviously  not  a  good  man,  and 
who  has  been  supposed  to  have  been  addicted  to 
the  practice  of  sorcery.  It  does  not  appear  how- 
ever, that  this  is  an  estimate  of  his  character 
altogether  just.  In  some  respects  it  undoubtedly 
is,  for  he  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness.  Yet 
there  is  no  sufficient  evidence  that  he  was  addicted 
to  the  use  of  unlawful  arts,  and  some  expressions  in 


78  DEATH    OF  SER.  6. 

the  scriptural  narrative  seeming  to  denote  this  may 
be  otherwise  explained.  He  certainly  possessed 
the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  rendered 
worship  to  him,  and  in  the  instance  at  present 
under  view,  received  direct  communications  from 
him.  The  occasion  on  which  he  is  introduced  to 
our  notice  was  this :  The  approach  of  the  im- 
mense body  of  Israelites  who  had  left  Egypt 
excited  the  utmost  consternation  in  the  king  of 
Moab.  Despairing  of  effectually  resisting  them  by 
ordinary  means,  he  sent  to  the  Euphrates  for 
Balaam,  one  of  those  to  whom  it  was  supposed  was 
committed  the  power  of  cursing  things  and  persons 
so  as  to  confound  all  their  designs,  frustrate  all 
their  purposes,  enervate  their  strength,  and  fill 
them  with  terror  and  dismay.  Instances  of  thus 
devoting  an  enemy  to  destruction  occur  frequently, 
in  profane  as  well  as  sacred  historical  records. 

We  shall  not  make  any  reference  to  the  difficulty 
experienced  by  the  king  of  Moab,  in  obtaining  the 
cooperation  of  this  prophet  or  divine,  but  direct  our 
attention  to  the  result.  The  ordinary  ceremonial 
being  gone  through,  Balaam  instead  of  devoting  the 
Israelites  to  destruction,  exclaims — "  How  shall  I 
curse  whom  God  hath  not  cursed  ?  or  how  shall  I 
defy  whom  the  Lord  hath  not  defied  ?  For  from 
the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him,  and  from  the  hills  I 
behold  him.  So  the  people  shall  dwell  alone,  and 
shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the  nations.  Who 


SER.  6.  THE    RIGHTEOUS.  79 

can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob,  or  number  the  fourth 
part  of  Israel  ?  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the 
righteous ;  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his !" 

It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  Balaam  used  this 
last  exclamation  in  the  acceptation  in  which  it  has 
been  ordinarily  taken.  By  the  death  of  the  right- 
eous, he  probably  meant,  a  good  old  age  in  which 
his  children's  children  should  be  grown  up  around 
him.  Under  the  old  dispensation,  temporal  rewards 
were  much  insisted  on  as  inducements  to  the 
practice  of  virtue  and  piety.  In  commendation  of 
wisdom  it  was  declared,  "  that  length  of  days  was 
in  her  right  hand,  and  in  her  left  riches  and  honor." 
While  therefore  the  seer  contemplated  the  present 
and  future  felicity  of  the  people  whom  God  had 
chosen  peculiarly  to  bless,  and  doubtless  with  some 
presentiment  of  his  own  early  fate,  he  exclaimed — 
"  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous ;  and  let 
my  last  end  be  like  his." 

But  although  the  meaning  ordinarily  attached  to 
the  text  is  not  precisely  that  intended  by  the 
speaker,  it  is  notwithstanding,  exceedingly  im- 
/pressive.  It  contains  a  sentiment  cherished  in 
many  bosoms — and  the  consideration  of  it  on  the 
present  occasion,  cannot  but  be  interesting. 

Some  anticipations  concerning  the  issue  of  the 
present  life  must  occasionally  arise  even  in  the 
most  thoughtless  mind.  No  one  can  deliberately 
think  that  he  is  to  live  always,  although  many  act 


80  DEATH    OF  SER.  6. 

habitually  as  if  such  a  destiny  were  to  be  expected. 
When  therefore,  the  prospect  of  dissolution  is 
presented,  and  all  its  solemn  and  interesting 
circumstances  considered,  we  must  look  around  us 
for  something  which  may  be  our  stay  and  conso- 
lation in  that  trying  hour.-  And  while  various 
grounds  of  hope  are  resorted  to  by  different  indi- 
viduals, every  sober-minded  man  must  unite  in  the 
aspiration — "  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  right- 
eous ;  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his  !" 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  the  various 
modes  in  which  our  last  earthly  trial  is  encoun- 
tered— and  then  show  how  exceedingly  desirable  it 
is  to  die  the  death  of  the  righteous. 

1.  There  is  a  death  marked  by  a  deceitful 
tranquillity,  the  result  of  an  imperfect  illumination 
of  the  understanding,  and  insufficient  awakening  of 
the  conscience.  Many  die  without  terror,  who 
certainly  have  no  well  grounded  hope  of  the  mercy 
of  God.  Of  the  multitudes  with  whom  we  asso- 
ciate in  the  intercourse  of  life,  what  a  great  number 
are  there  who  seem  to  cherish  no  religious  prin- 
ciple— who  evince  no  reverence  toward  God,  or 
regard  to  his  precepts ;  and  who,  while  in  common 
with  others  they  attend  to  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  furnish  no  evidence  that  it  has  at  all 
affected  their  hearts.  And  yet,  when  we  attend 
the  death-bed  of  such,  and  witness  the  ebbings  of 
life,  we  do  not  see  them  terrified  at  the  crisis 


SER.   6.  THE    RIGHTEOUS.  81 

which  is  approaching — we  do  not  observe  that 
intense  and  absorbing  interest  which  the  occasion 
would  seem  to  demand — we  do  not  witness  the 
distressing  exhibitions  of  doubt  and  apprehension. 
There  is  rather  a  state  of  listlessness  induced — 
they  either  pass  from  the  world  with  no  expression 
of  hope,  or  with  an  avowal  of  some  vague 
expression  of  trust  in  the  general  mercy  of  God. 
But,  because  there  is  this  apparent  tranquillity,  is 
such  a  death  to  be  desired  ?  Does  it  furnish  any 
assurance  that  all  will  ultimately  be  well  ?  It  does 
not.  We  must  have  some  other  ground  on  which 
to  rest  the  hope  of  a  happy  immortality  than  is  fur- 
nished by  a  seemingly  quiet  death.  It  is  not  indeed 
surprising  that  those  who  through  life  have  cherished 
a  false  security,  should  preserve  it  in  the  hour  of 
dissolution.  The  delusion  is  sometimes,  but  not 
always,  dissipated  at  that  period.  It  is  afterwards, 
that  the  truth  is  fully  known,  and  their  condition 
becomes  fixed. 

2.  But  there  is  a  death  apparently  unattended 
with  terror,  observable  in  the  instance  of  those  who 
have  professed  a  disbelief  in  all  invisible  or  spiritual 
existences,  or  have  rejected  the  doctrine  of  a 
coming  retribution.  That  infidelity  may  in  many 
instances  have  sustained  its  advocates  at  the  period 
of  all  others  the  most  trying  to  human  nature,  we 
do  not  pretend  to  deny.  Neither  is  it  important 
that  we  should,  were  we  even  authorized  to  do 
11 


82  DEATH    OF  SER.  6. 

so.  The  mind  doubtless  becomes  sometimes  as 
thoroughly  imbued  with  error,  as  it  can  be  with 
truth — danger  is  not  apprehended,  and  therefore 
disregarded  ;  and  death  being  viewed  as  an  endless 
sleep,  or  the  expectation  of  judgment  being  taken 
away,  there  is  nothing  to  alarm  the  dying  skeptic. 

But  in  addition  to  this,  there  may  be  much  real 
though  concealed  apprehension  in  the  mind  of  such 
an  owe.  The  pride  of  opinion  and  a  regard  to  con- 
sistency, may  subdue  the  outward  expression  of 
feelings  which  produce  the  most  intense  suffering. 
But  what  does  this  perseverance  in  error,  or  this 
fortitude  in  resisting  the  operation  of  truth  upon  the 
mind,  prove  ?  If  a  strong  conviction  of  their  truth 
be  sufficient  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  any  par- 
ticular principles,  then  shall  we  be  compelled  to 
adopt  opinions,  heterogeneous,  conflicting,  opposite. 
Strong  conviction  has  furnished  martyrs  to  every 
faith,  however  destitute  of  reasonable  support  ; 
and  it  is  not  surprising  that  infidelity  should  come 
in  for  its  portion.  But,  that  the  fact  of  unbelievers 
dying  in  peace  is  a  proof  of  the  truth  of  their  prin- 
ciples, is  a  supposition  utterly  absurd.  Were  such 
indeed  to  return  to  us,  after  having  seen  what  man 
is  not  now  permitted  to  see,  and  after  having  ex- 
perienced the  destiny  awaiting  us  all,  and  should 
declare  that  the  hopes  of  religion  are  delusive  and 
its  terms  imaginary  ;  then,  if  we  were  assured  of 
their  sincerity,  we  might  concede  something  to  their 


SER.  6.  THE    RIGHTEOUS.  83 

authority.  But  until  then,  who  shall  assure  us  that 
the  strong  confidence  with  which  they  leave  this 
world,  will  not  speedily  be  changed  into  alarm  and 
horror.  But  passing  over  this  consideration,  is  the 
death  which  such  die  at  all  becoming  the  dignity 
or  consistent  with  the  noble  attributes  of  human 
nature  ?  In  illustration  of  this  remark,  you  may 
be  referred  to  the  instance  of  a  particular  individual, 
celebrated  as  an  historian  and  philosopher,  arid  who, 
in  the  estimation  of  a  very  distinguished  contem- 
porary, furnished  in  life  and  death  the  model  of  a 
perfectly  wise  and  virtuous  man.  His  death  has 
been  triumphantly  appealed  to  in  support  of  the 
principle  that  on  that  awful  occasion  man  needs  not 
the  consolations  of  religion.  But  may  the  mercy  of 
God  secure  us  from  a  death  so  marked  with  levity, 
profanity,  and  insensibility  to  the  noblest  feelings 
and  aspirations  of  humanity.  After  all  the  pros- 
perity which  during  life  had  attended  him,  there  is 
not  one  expression  of  gratitude  to  an  overruling  and 
beneficent  Providence.  Amid  all  his  pleasing  retro- 
spections of  the  past,  there  is  not  one  respecting 
the  performance  of  his  duties  toward  that  God 
whom  his  reason,  unperverted,  would  have  taught 
him  to  honor.  And  in  the  near  prospect  of  separa- 
tion from  this  world  and  all  that  is  in  it,  there 
seems  to  be  cherished  no  hope  of  a  future  existence  ; 
there  is  only  a  shocking  jesting,  founded  on  the 
fables  of  pagan  antiquity.  And  died  not  this  man 


84  DEATH    OF  SER.    6. 

as  the  brute  dieth — unconscious  of  his  accountability 
— ignorant  of  his  immortality  ?  It  will  be  said  that 
his  end  was  in  entire  consistency  with  his  prin- 
ciples. True  ;  but  does  this  circumstance  prove 
that  it  was  either  wise  or  safe  to  retain  those  prin- 
ciples ?  By  no  means.  And  if  there  should  be  a 
God  who  challenges  the  homage  and  service  of  his 
creatures — if  there  should  be  a  future  state,  and 
that  one  of  retribution,  who  would  not  tremble  at 
the  thought  of  living  and  dying  as  did  this  infidel 
philosopher. 

We  have  now  considered  two  classes  of  persons 
who,  through  a  delusive  hope  or  the  influence  of 
false  principles,  possess  some  measure  of  tranquillity 
in  death.  It  may  now  be  observed  that  there  is  a 
death  attended  with  deep  distress  of  mind,  and 
awful  apprehensions  of  futurity.  These  feelings  in 
different  instances  vary  in  intensity ;  but  in  all, 
there  is  a  foretaste  of  their  coming  misery.  There 
are  some  cases  on  record,  the  narrative  of  which  is 
sufficient  to  freeze  our  souls  with  horror; — there 
are  some  which  we  may  all  have  witnessed,  of  the 
most  melancholy  character.  And  the  only  ground 
of  surprise  is,  that  amid  all  the  irreligion,  impiety, 
and  wickedness  which  prevail  in  the  world,  the 
moment  of  dissolution  is  not  more  uniformly  one 
of  extreme  terror.  For  it  is  undeniable  that  those 
who  have  lived  in  forgetfulness  of  God,  neglect  of 
religion  and  violation  of  social  duties,  have  the 


SER.  6.  THE    RIGHTEOUS.  85 

highest  cause  of  alarm  when  the  hour  of  their  de- 
parture is  at  hand.  The  term  of  their  probation  is 
drawing  to  a  close — the  forbearance  of  God  will 
cease — and  after  death  comes  judgment  and  its 
tremendous  consequences.  And  may  not,  ought 
not  human  nature  to  shrink  from  encountering  such 
awful  evils  ?  Yet  they  are  generally  excluded  most 
studiously  from  the  contemplation  —  hope  of  re- 
covery is  cherished  to  the  last — and  notwithstanding 
all  the  monitions  of  his  approach,  death  at  last  comes 
unexpectedly,  and  the  mind  is  not  permitted  fully 
to  conceive  the  momentous  results  attendant  on  his 
visitation.  It  is  on  this  account,  that  the  wicked 
do  not  always  in  the  hour  of  death  experience  the 
terrors  which  are  appropriate  to  their  condition. 

After  this  reference  to  the  various  methods  in 
which  the  last  enemy  is  encountered  by  those  who 
have  no  reasonable  hope  of  the  divine  favor,  we 
may  now  proceed  to  consider  what  is  the  death  of 
the  righteous,  and  why  it  is  exceedingly  desirable 
that  we  should  experience  it. 

It  is  then  a  death — always  peaceful — sometimes 
triumphant,  and  uniformly  the  prelude  to  full  and 
eternal  happiness.  It  is  always  peaceful.  True 
religion,  the  possession  of  which  is  evinced  by  the 
fruits  of  piety  and  moral  goodness,  invariably  affords 
a  security  against  the  terrors  experienced  by  those 
who  meet  death  in  an  unprepared  state.  Imperfect 
religious  attainments  or  constitutional  infirmity  may 


86  DEATH    OF  SER.  6. 

during  life  prevent  high  Christian  confidence,  and 
induce  distressing  anticipations  concerning  their 
latter  end  ;  jet  when  the  hour  of  trial  comes,  a 
fortitude  and  hope  are  imparted  which,  under  less 
difficult  circumstances,  had  neither  been  enjoyed 
nor  expected. 

But,  not  only  is  death  in  the  instance  of  the 
Christian,  encountered  with  fortitude  and  hope — it 
frequently  becomes  the  occasion  of  exultation  and 
triumph.  The  energy  of  faith  imparting  a  full 
confidence  in  the  reality  of  things  invisible,  and  the 
full  assurance  of  hope  in  reference  to  eternal  hap- 
piness, enables  him  to  feel  that  "  to  die  is  gain." 
He  knows  that  if  this  earthly  house  of  his  taber- 
nacle were  dissolved,  he  has  a  building  of  God,  an 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 
Under  these  circumstances  is  it  not  natural  that  he 
should  groan  under  a  consciousness  of  the  infir- 
mities of  life,  and  an  experience  of  its  numerous 
ills — that  he  should  dwell  with  rapture  on  the 
contemplation  of  the  peace  and  joy  which  are  the 
inheritance  of  the  blest — and  that  he  should  regard 
death  not  as  an  awful  or  unwelcome  visitant,  but  as 
the  precursor  of  a  happy  immortality.  Such  was 
the  experience  of  St.  Paul,  who  was  in  a  strait 
between  the  desire  of  being  useful  in  the  present 
life,  and  the  wish  to  enter  upon  his  reward ;  and 
who  was  persuaded  that  to  depart  and  be  with 
Christ,  was  far  better  than  any  thing  which  this 


SER.  6.  THE    RIGHTEOUS.  87 

world  could  afford.  Such  has  also  been  the  expe- 
rience of  many  to  whom  it  has  been  given  not  only 
to  encounter  the  last  enemy  with  fortitude,  but  to 
triumph  over  him. 

But,  are  we  not  here  falling  into  the  same  error 
which  we  have  condemned  in  others  ?  May  it  not 
be  retorted  upon  us — if  the  composure  of  mind 
preserved  by  the  infidel  in  the  hour  of  dissolution 
be  no  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  his  principles, 
can  we  say  that  the  happy  death  of  the  Christian 
demonstrates  the  truth  of  his  religion  ?  We  are 
not  guilty  of  this  inconsistency.  We  do  not  argue 
that  Christianity  is  true  because  its  professors  die 
happily.  But,  establishing  the  truth  of  its  doctrines 
by  other  means,  we  are  enabled  to  pronounce 
confidently  that  the  peace  which  they  enjoy  when 
human  nature  is  in  extremity,  is  not  fallacious  and 
temporary.  And  we  are  thus  led  to  mention  the 
most  interesting  characteristic  of  the  Christian's 
death — that  it  is  not  only  always  peaceful,  and 
sometimes  triumphant,  but  invariably  succeeded  by 
happiness  which  "  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
nor  the  mind  of  man  conceived."  Here  then  is  the 
grand  distinction  between  the  pious  and  wicked 
man.  The  latter  may  die  as  he  lived — may  be  to 
the  last  impious  or  thoughtless,  or  negligent  of  the 
great  salvation — and  notwithstanding  all  this,  re- 
morse shall  not  fill  his  bosom,  nor  the  apprehension 
of  impending  evil  distress  his  mind.  Yet  will  that 


88  DEATH    OF  SER.    6 

evil  surely  overtake  him — the  light  of  eternity  will 
dispel  every  error,  and  its  interminable  course  be 
marked  by  the  tribulation  and  anguish  which  are 
the  recompense  of  unrepented,  unforgiven  guilt. 
Not  thus  is  it  with  the  pious  man — the  serenity  of 
the  evening  of  life  furnishes  no  fallacious  inducement 
to  the  happiness  awaiting  him  on  the  resurrection 
morn.  His  is  not  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite,  which 
shall  perish ; — its  accomplishment  is  as  sure  as 
Jehovah's  covenant  can  make  it. 

And  now  let  me  in  conclusion  ask, — Of  all  who 
are  this  day  present  with  us,  is  there  one  who  does 
not  wish  to  die  the  death  of  the  righteous — who 
would  not  pray  for  an  end  so  happy  as  his  ?  But, 
with  a  conviction  of  the  desirableness  of  such  an 
issue  to  your  earthly  course,  what  measures  are 
you  taking  to  secure  such  a  result  ?  Are  you  ex- 
erting yourselves  to  live  the  life  of  the  righteous — 
to  repent  and  be  converted — to  obtain  redemption 
through  Jesus  Christ — to  fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments  ?  Many,  we  would  hope,  are  thus 
acting ;  and  to  them  we  would  say,  be  not  weary 
in  well  doing,  for  in  due  time  ye  shall  reap,  if  ye 
faint  not.  But,  how  many  more  are  there  who  are 
living  without  God,  and  therefore  without  any 
reasonable  hope  in  the  world.  You  wish  to  die  the 
death  of  the  righteous,  but  how  can  you  expect  to 
do  so  ?  It  is  only  reserved  for  those  who  by 
patient  continuance  in  well-doing,  seek  for  glory 


SER.  6.  THE    RIGHTEOUS.  89 

and  immortality.  How  little  claim  have  you  to 
this  distinction,  and  how  then  can  you  hope  to 
enjoy  its  exceeding  great  reward  ?  Yet  this  most 
delightful  issue  of  the  labors  and  sorrows  of  life  is 
still  within  your  grasp.  Deserving  as  you  now  are 
of  the  divine  condemnation,  and  utterly  disqualified 
as  you  are  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  divine  presence, 
a  change  in  your  condition  and  prospects  may  yet 
be  effected.  The  mercy  of  God  is  full  and  free — 
your  doom  is  not  now  fixed — and  the  gospel  calls 
you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  enter  upon 
the  path  leading  to  happiness.  Obey  this  call — 
seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found — work  out 
your  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling;  and  you 
shall  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  your  last 
end  shall  be  like  his. 


12 


90 


SERMON  VII 


THE  HEAVENLY  STATE. 


1  JOHN  iii.  2. 

It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be  :  but  we  know  that, 
when  he  shall  appear  >  we  shall  be  like  him  ;  for  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is. 

A  GREATER  inquisitiveness  concerning  a  future 
existence,  than  is  actually  observed  among  men, 
might  be  reasonably  expected.  The  subject  is 
surely  one  of  sufficient  interest  to  excite  universal 
attention,  and  to  excite  it  in  a  very  remarkable 
degree.  When  we  reflect  that,  since  the  world 
began,  generation  after  generation  has  existed  and 
in  its  turn  disappeared  from  the  face  of  the  earth, 
is  not  the  inquiry  a  natural  one,  Where  has  this 
multitude  of  human  beings  gone  ?  Have  they 
utterly  perished  ?  Is  the  memory  of  them  all  that 
remains  ? 


SER.  7.  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  91 

Again,  when  we  call  to  our  recollection  many 
whom  we  have  most  ardently  loved,  for  whose 
happiness,  as  much  as  our  own,  we  have  felt  con- 
cerned, who  have  associated  with  us  many  days 
and  years,  and  when  in  vain  we  now  search  for 
them  among  the  living,  how  can  we  avoid  indulging 
some  conjectures  concerning  their  present  condition  ? 
And  when  the  mind  takes  such  a  direction,  how 
natural  is  it  with  the  thought  of  their  continued 
existence  to  associate  some  picture  of  its  nature 
and  circumstances  ? 

And  when  we  consider  that  in  the  way  in  which 
all  flesh  has  gone  we  shall  also  go,  that  as  others 
have  died  so  must  we,  how  strong  should  be  our 
desire  to  pierce  the  thick  darkness  which  gathers 
around  the  tomb,  to  obtain  a  distant  view  of  another 
world,  if  such  world  exists,  and  to  obtain  a  hope 
and  confidence  that  when  this  earth  shall  know  us 
no  more,  we  shall  yet  live  and  live  in  happiness. 
Taking  into  view  the  considerations  which  I  have 
suggested,  it  would  seem  that  every  man's  thoughts 
would  be  much  exercised  in  regard  to  futurity,  and 
that  the  formation  of  some  system  of  belief  in 
respect  to  it  would  be  the  uniform  result.  On  the 
other  hand,  however,  there  are .  reasons  which 
induce  an  opposite  course  of  conduct,  which  influ- 
ence many  to  confine  their  views  to  the  present 
life,  and  which  produce  an  indisposition  in  all  to 
think  as  much  as  they  otherwise  would  of  the  state 


92  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  SER.  7. 

which  may  be  consequent  upon  the  dissolution  of 
the  body. 

In  the  first  place,  this  is,  in  itself,  a  gloomy 
subject  of  contemplation.  It  is  conversant  with 
the  sufferings  most  appalling  to  our  nature.  It 
calls  to  mind  the  loss  of  earthly  happiness  and  the 
separation  from  endeared  friends.  In  this  view, 
then,  it  is  natural  that  the  mind  should  not  more 
frequently  recur  to  it  than  is  unavoidable.  But  in 
the  circumstances  of  multitudes,  the  subject  to 
which  we  are  referring  is  not  merely  gloomy,  but 
terrible.  The  consciousness  that  they  do  not  pos- 
sess the  approbation  of  God  ; — the  knowledge  that 
upon  him  depends  the  ordering  of  their  future  lot; — 
the  consequent  anticipation  that  their  final  condition 
cannot  be  a  happy  one — all  concur  in  producing  a 
disposition  rather  to  rest  in  their  present  enjoyment, 
than  to  speculate  concerning  their  future  prospects. 

These  considerations,  however,  do  not  affect  the 
pious  man  ;  and  contemplations  which  impress 
others  with  alarm,  may  to  him  be  productive  of 
pleasure.  To  such  an  one,  the  declaration  of  the 
Apostle  will  furnish  a  grateful  subject  of  meditation. 
"It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be  :  but  we 
know  that,  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like 
him  ;  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is." 

I  shall  from  these  words  take  occasion  to  consider 

1.  What  is  mysterious  in  the  future  condition 
of  the  pious. 


SER.  7.  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  93 

II.  What  is  determined  in  Scripture  concern- 
ing it. 

I.  "  We  know  not  jet  what  we  shall  be." 
There  is  therefore  a  present  obscurity  in  our  views. 
God  has  not  removed  the  vail  from  before  our  eyes. 
There  are  indeed  beams  of  light  which  allure  and 
guide  us  home,  but  there  is  not  enough  to  satisfy 
our  curiosity.  Now  we  see  things  as  through  a 
glass,  darkly. 

Our  first  inquiry  is,  What  is  there  mysterious  in 
the  future  condition  of  the  pious  ? — There  is  much 
of  this  character.  I  shall  however  only  adduce  a 
few  particulars. 

1.  We  know  not  then  the  place  of  their  abode. 
We  indeed  commonly  designate  it  by  the  name  of 
heaven,  and  suppose  it  to  be  at  an  undefined  dis- 
tance above  us.  The  imagination  passes  from  earth 
to  the  aerial  regions  surrounding  it ;  thence  to  the 
expanse  in  which  the  stars  are  apparently  fixed  ; 
and  beyond  this,  rests  in  a  world  of  light  and  hap- 
piness, which  it  portrays.  There  is  something 
natural  in  this  process,  and  there  is  countenance 
given  to  the  conclusion  at  which  it  arrives,  by  holy 
writ.  The  process  is  a  natural  one ;  for,  in  en- 
deavoring to  form  the  conception  of  all  that  is 
bright,  and  glorious,  and  pure,  we  do  not  allow 
the  mind  to  sink  into  the  dust  beneath  our  feet,  but 
seek  to  be  removed  from  it  as  far  as  possible,  and 
to  attain  a  natural  elevation  correspondent  to  that 


94  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  SER.  7. 

moral  exaltation  characteristic  of  the  Creator.  And 
there  is  a  ground  for  this  proceeding  in  the  oracles 
of  truth.  These  represent  the  abodes  of  the  blest 
as  far  above  us ; — the  invisible  is  situated  beyond 
the  visible  heaven; — and  St.  Paul,  in  his  rapturous 
vision,  was  lifted  up  to  it.  .  Yet  the  general  tenor 
of  holy  writ,  and  the  reason  of  the  thing,  instruct 
us  that  heaven  is  to  be  conceived  of  rather  as  a 
state  than  as  a  place.  Scriptural  language  on  this 
subject  is  often  highly  figurative  ;  and  when  there 
are  descriptions  of  future  happiness  given  to  allure 
our  desires,  these  are  to  be  considered  as  referring 
to  the  condition,  and  not  as  determining  the  place 
of  abode  assigned  to  the  righteous.  With  this 
understanding,  it  may  be  that  the  redeemed  are 
widely  distributed  through  regions  of  space  un- 
known to  us — that  their  situations  may  be  varied 
while  their  happiness  is  undiminished — and  that 
there  are  gradations  of  excellence  and  felicity 
almost  interminable,  through  which  they  may  be 
permitted  to  ascend.  All  this  may  be,  and  yet 
Scripture  does  not  decide  upon  it. 

In  the  conclusions  to  which  we  have  arrived, 
there  is  nothing  inconsistent  with  the  idea  that 
there  is  a  local  heaven  ;  such  a  state  there  must  be 
after  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  But  we  are  not 
informed  where  it  is,  and  conjectures  on  this  sub- 
ject will  be  fruitless.  We  are  far,  however,  from 
conceding  any  thing  to  the  frivolous  objection  that 


SER.  7.  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  95 

the  received  notions  of  the  heavenly  state  are  dis- 
tinguished by  any  absurdity.  Admit  that  many  of 
the  expressions  on  this  subject  are  unphilosophical, 
yet,  is  the  thing  unreasonable  ?  We  lift  our  eyes 
from  the  earth  upon  which  we  tread,  and  we  behold 
shining  bodies  apparently  innumerable.  Science 
has  taught  us  that  there  are  globes  like  that  which 
we  inhabit.  Reason  suggests  the  strong  probability 
that  they  are  also  the  abodes  of  sentient  and  intel- 
ligent beings.  But  what  is  the  condition  of  their 
existence  ?  Is  it  like  our  own  ?  or,  having  never 
sinned,  is  their  situation  one  of  imperishable 
felicity  ?  Or  may  not  some  of  these  distant  worlds 
be  the  theatre  on  which  God's  dispensations  begun 
on  earth  are  completed,  where  the  individuals  of 
our  race  are  rewarded  or  punished  ?  Is  there  any 
thing  improbable  in  such  a  supposition  ?  It  does 
not  appear  that  there  is.  Yet,  in  regard  to  this 
matter,  we  are,  for  a  time,  doomed  to  uncertainty. 

2.  But  again,  "  it  doth  not  now  appear"  what 
shall  be  the  nature  of  the  resurrection  body — what 
the  increased  capacities  of  our  souls — what  their 
knowledge  of  transactions  in  other  parts  of  the 
universe.  All  that  unenlightened  reason  had  been 
able  to  dictate  concerning  man's  future  destiny  was, 
that  the  soul  survived  the  destruction  of  the  body ; 
and  the  popular  notion  had  invested  it  with  a 
shadowy,  unsubstantial  form,  which  met  the  eye 
but  eluded  the  touch.  It  is  exclusively  a  doctrine 


96  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  SER.  7. 

of  revelation  that  the  body,  although  apparently 
dissolved,  is  preserved  in  all  its  elements  to  be 
again  reunited  to  the  soul.  Yet  the  body  which 
shall  be,  must  differ  greatly  from  that  which  now 
is.  Its  organization  must  be  varied  to  obviate  the 
liability  to  derangement  and  tendency  to  disso- 
lution. Matter  must  be  purified  and  become  more 
ethereal,  for  flesh  and  blood  cannot  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God.  These  general  conceptions  con- 
cerning the  corporeal  part  of  those  who  dwell  in 
heaven,  we  can  form,  but  cannot  go  beyond  them, 
for  then  all  is  obscurity. 

Neither  are  we  able  to  comprehend  the  change 
which  passes  upon  the  soul  in  its  translation  from 
earth.  I  have  reference  to  its  intellectual  capaci- 
ties. These  we  are  informed  will  be  greatly 
invigorated,  and  be  conversant  with  objects  now 
unknown  to  us.  We  shall  then  understand  many 
mysteries,  but  whether  all  difficulties  will  be 
removed  is  not  determined.  Probably  the  en- 
largement of  our  faculties  may  be  progressive,  and 
yet,  the  attainment  of  a  perfect  knowledge  of  God 
and  his  perfections,  may  forever  elude  their  grasp. 
He  who  is  all-wise  can  only  be  comprehended  by 
such  an  one  as  himself. 

Morever,  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  acquain- 
tance glorified  spirits  shall  have  with  those  parts  of 
the  universe  with  which  they  are  not  directly 
conversant.  Is  it  with  them  as  with  us,  that  they 


SER.  7.  THE    HEAVENLY     STATE.  97 

only  know  what  is  transacting  within  a  limited 
sphere,  while  all  beyond  is  utterly  unknown — or 
can  they  look  back  upon  this  stage  of  existence 
which  they  have  left,  and  mark  its  passing  events, 
and  note  the  conduct  of  those  whom  they  have 
loved  on  earth,  and  exult  with  them  in  their  joys, 
or  mourn  with  them  in  their  sorrows  ?  It  would 
seem  reasonable  that  the  latter  supposition  is  true; 
and  yet  we  know  not  how  sorrow  and  sighing  can 
flee  away,  when  the  soul  can  look  back  and  see  the 
objects  of  its  fervent  love  involved  in  suffering,  led 
astray  by  temptation,  and  in  danger  of  eternal  ruin. 
On  this  subject  therefore,  our  minds  must  be  greatly 
perplexed. 

II.  But  we  have  dwelt  sufficiently  long  on  the 
mysteries  connected  with  the  future  lot  of  the 
pious.  We  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  what  is 
decisively  known  concerning  it.  "  It  doth  not  yet 
appear  what  we  shall  be  :  but  we  know  that,  when 
he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  him ;  for  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is." 

The  period  to  which  the  final  happiness  of  the 
redeemed  is  referred,  is  the  appearance  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  in  the  mean 
time  they  are  unhappy  or  destitute  of  consciousness. 
Doubtless,  in  passing  from  earth  they  enter  imme- 
diately upon  a  state  of  blessedness — but  the  de- 
parted spirits  of  the  just  await  the  redemption  of 
their  bodies,  ere  they  enter  upon  the  full  possession 
13 


98  THE    HEAVENLY    STATE.  SER.  7. 

of  their  joys.  This  event  will  take  place  at  the 
time  when  Jesus  Christ  shall  appear,  at  the  end 
of  this  probationary  state,  to  judge  the  world. 
Scripture  affords  us  an  awful  and  magnificent 
representation  of  this  stupendous  transaction.  Our 
concern  at  this  time  is  only  .with  its  consequences 
with  respect  to  the  pious. 

In  the  state  which  shall  ensue  upon  the  winding 
up  of  God's  dispensations  upon  earth,  the  believer 
in  Christ  shall  be  fully  conformed  to  the  likeness  of 
his  Redeemer.  It  is  declared  that  he  shall  change 
our  vile  bodies,  that  they  may  be  fashioned  like  his 
glorious  body.  This  is  doubtless  within  the  scope 
of  the  text ;  but  when  it  is  said  we  shall  be  like 
him,  particular  respect  is  had  to  the  impression 
upon  the  soul  of  the  moral  image  of  Him  who  is 
all  holy.  This  fact  is  stated  as  the  consequence 
of  our  seeing  him  as  he  is.  Excellence  contem- 
plated with  right  dispositions  of  mind  has  a  power- 
ful influence  in  transforming  the  heart  of  the  be- 
holder. Now,  through  the  exhibition  contained  in 
the  gospel,  we  are  enabled  to  behold  as  in  a  glass 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  thus  ascend  from  one 
degree  of  holiness  to  another.  Hereafter  by  con- 
tinually observing  all  his  excellence  and  loveliness 
with  no  obstacle  between,  we  shall  be  made  per- 
fectly to  resemble  that  which  we  admire  and  love. 
One  particular  then  of  the  blessedness  of  the  re- 
deemed, is  the  possession  of  holiness  without 


SER.  7.  THE  HEAVENLY  STATE.  99 

blemish,  of  dispositions  perfectly  pure.  This  is  an 
element  in  their  feelings  which  is  much  insisted 
upon  in  the  oracles  of  God,  and  however  little  it 
may  impress  the  irreligious  man,  it  is  the  subject  of 
delightful  anticipation  to  those  whose  regenerated 
hearts  mourn  the  evil  influences  to  which  they  are 
now  subjected,  and  long  for  the  period  when  the 
dominion  of  corruption  shall  be  utterly  destroyed. 
And  those  who  are  distinguished  by  this  perfect 
holiness,  will  live  in  the  presence  of  God  almighty, 
all-sufficient,  all-merciful.  No  man  hath  seen  God 
at  any  time.  He  is  a  spirit  not  to  be  beheld  or 
touched  by  the  material  organ.  He  is  an  univer- 
sally diffused  intelligence,  not  to  be  limited  by 
place.  Yet  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  can  reveal 
himself  to  finite  spirits — that  he  can  even  without 
assuming  a  corporeal  form,  become  the  object  of 
their  senses.  Heaven,  the  abode  of  saints  and 
angels,  is  also  said  to  be  his  dwelling-place  ;  not 
because  he  is  there  confined,  but  because  while 
universally  present,  he  is  there  peculiarly  mani- 
fested, and  imparts  to  holy  beings  joys  unutterable. 
But  what  are  those  joys  ?  Are  they  sensual  ? 
are  they  merely  intellectual?  They  are  spiritual. 
There  is  the  gratification  of  beholding  all  that  is 
excellent — of  associating  with  all  that  is  holy — of 
praising  Him  to  whom  all  glory  is  due — and  of  ex- 
pressing the  intense  feelings  of  love  and  gratitude 
to  Him  who  "  having  washed  us  by  his  blood,  has 


100  THE  HEAVENLY   STATE.  SER.  7. 

redeemed  us  out  of  every  tongue  and  kindred." 
In  a  word,  we  shall  possess  higher  faculties  and 
holier  feelings,  and  we  shall  have  access  to  all  that 
can  exercise  the  one  or  gratify  the  other. 

Now,  brethren,  are  you  desirous  of  entering  on 
the  heavenly  inheritance  ?  Consider  well  what  is 
involved  in  its  enjoyment — consider  the  character 
necessary  to  its  attainment.  St.  John  declares, 
that  every  one  who  hath  this  hope  in  him,  puri- 
fieth  himself  as  God  is  pure.  And  such  conduct  is 
reasonable  and  proper.  It  is  only  the  pure  in  heart 
that  shall  see  God.  It  is  only  such  who  could  be 
happy  in  his  presence.  Let  me  therefore  earnestly 
beseech  you  to  grow  in  grace — to  subdue  earthly 
and  sinful  desires,  and  to  cherish  those  which  are 
heavenly.  Do  not  remit  your  exertions  while  any 
advance  in  Christian  piety  is  to  be  made,  and  use 
every  means  which  can  conduce  to  its  perfection. 
Let  this  world  be  chiefly  regarded,  as  it  affords 
opportunity  of  obtaining  entrance  into  another  and 
better,  where  guilt  and  sorrow  are  alike  unknown  ; 
where  all  those  who  die  in  faith  shall  reap  their  im- 
perishable reward,  while  they  join  in  ascribing  bles- 
sedness, and  honor,  and  glory,  and  praise,  to  Him 
that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb, 
forever  and  forever. 


101 


SERMON    VIII. 


THE  DISCOURAGEMENTS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  OF  THE 
CHRISTIAN  MINISTER. 


ISAIAH    XLIX.    4. 

Then  I  said,  I  have  labored  in  vain,  I  have  spent  my  strength 
for  nought,  and  in  vain  :  yet  surely  my  judgment  is  with 
the  Lord,  and  my  work  with  my  God. 

THE  words  of  the  text  were  uttered  by  the 
prophet  while  personating  that  Messiah  to  whom  so 
many  of  his  predictions  related.  The  Almighty 
had  declared  to  him,  "  Thou  art  my  servant,  in 
whom  I  will  be  glorified."  The  reply  was,  "  I  have 
labored  in  vain,  1  have  spent  my  strength  for  nought." 
This  had  reference  to  the  fact  that  Israel,  the  chosen 
people  of  Jehovah,  would  not  in  general  be  gath- 
ered to  Him  who  should  be  revealed  as  their  Prince 
and  Saviour.  The  animating  declaration  is  sub- 
joined on  the  part  of  the  Father.  "It  is  a  light  thing 


102  TRIALS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  SER.  8. 

that  thou  shouldest  be  my  servant,  to  raise  up  the 
tribes  of  Jacob,  and  to  restore  the  preserved  of 
Israel :  I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, that  thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  unto  the  end 
of  the  earth." 

Such  is  the  connection  in  which  the  text  appears, 
and  such  was  its  original  application. 

We  may  regard  the  language  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
employed  by  one  of  his  followers,  and  from  it  be 
led  to  take  a  view  of  the  discouragements  and  con- 
solations of  the  Christian  ministry. 

The  object  for  which  this  ministry  is  instituted, 
is  the  preparation  of  human  beings  for  the  last  stage 
of  life  and  for  the  scenes  of  another  world.  In  the 
fulfilment  of  this  purpose  it  effects  another.  By 
rendering  men  wiser  and  better,  it  greatly  con- 
tributes to  their  present  happiness. 

There  are  others  who  labor  worthily  to  promote 
the  temporal  welfare  of  men — to  add  to  the  sum  of 
their  innocent  enjoyments,  and  to  exalt  human 
nature  by  imparting  useful  knowledge.  It  is  our 
province  to  labor  for  your  eternal  happiness — to 
exhort  you  to  the  pursuit  of  the  knowledge  and 
favor  of  God,  and  to  aid  you  in  the  acquisition  of 
these  inestimable  benefits.  From  this  representation 
let  it  not  be  understood  that  we  arrogate  to  ourselves 
any  superiority  over  you.  Very  far  from  it.  On 
the  contrary,  we  regard  ourselves  as  your  servants 
in  this  matter,  and  all  that  we  demand  of  you  is 


SER.  8.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MINISTER.  103 

your  serious  attention ;  all  that  we  expect,  is  the 
regard  due  to  those  who  are  sincerely  desirous  of 
your  happiness. 

Having  ourselves  through  the  mercy  of  God  been 
brought  to  attend  to  our  own  spiritual  interests  ; 
having  been  instructed  in  the  word  of  revelation, 
and  having,  according  to  the  provisions  of  that  word 
been  ordained  as  ambassadors  for  Christ,  we  are 
bound  to  warn  you  of  the  dangers  from  which  we 
trust  that  we  have  escaped,  and  to  present  to  your 
view  the  blessings  which  we  have  in  prospect.  It 
is  incumbent  upon  us  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
things  of  another  world,  to  establish  their  reality, 
and  to  illustrate  their  importance.  We  are  to  con- 
sider the  questions  of  duty  connected  with  their 
existence,  and  to  show  that  if  man's  highest  and 
most  durable  interests  exist  in  futurity,  then  should 
not  this  world  engage  his  strongest  solicitude  ?  We 
are  to  teach  you  that  the  favor  of  the  Almighty  God 
is  the  greatest  of  blessings,  and  the  foundation  of  all 
others.  We  must  declare  to  you  how,  by  a  being 
who  is  already  sinful,  this  is  attainable.  And  thusy 
while  exhibiting  the  redemption  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  and  pressing  upon  you  the  obligation  to  lead 
a  holy  life,  we  appear  as  the  heralds  of  salvation 
and  the  teachers  of  Christian  morals,  and  Christian 
piety. 

Such  being  the  duties  of  the  gospel  ministry, 
when  may  it  be  said  that  the  end  for  which  it  exists 


* 


104  TRIALS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  SER.  8. 

is  accomplished  ?  The  inquiry  respects  the  instances 
of  individuals.  Our  labors  then  have  produced  their 
highest  fruit  in  regard  to  any  individual,  when  he 
has  been  brought  to  experience  repentance — to  ex- 
ercise faith,  and  perform  new  obedience — when  he 
has  recognized  his  obligations  to  his  Creator  and 
Redeemer  by  partaking  of  the  rites  and  submitting 
to  the  regulations  of  the  Christian  community — 
when,  by  holding  the  truth  in  its  purity,  and  pre- 
serving a  deportment  consistent  with  the  gospel,  he 
affords  evidence  that  he  is  undergoing  a  preparation 
for  a  happy  immortality. 

This  is  the  state  to  which  we  would  bring  every 
one  of  you.  Having  done  this,  we  should  be  sat- 
isfied ;  all  that  would  remain  would  be  to  exhort 
you  to  persevere  in  well-doing.  To  admonish  you 
of  dangers  which,  when  perceived,  would  be  imme- 
diately avoided  by  you — to  enjoin  upon  you  duties 
which  would  yet  be  more  powerfully  enjoined  by  a 
principle  in  your  own  bosoms. 

But  if  in  regard  to  you  we  fail  in  attaining  this 
object,  we  are  not  satisfied.  You  are  yet  exposed  to 
the  displeasure  of  God — salvation  is  yet  far  from 
you — the  end  of  our  labors  is  not  accomplished. 
Under  these  circumstances,  wre  are  induced  to  take 
up  the  complaint  of  the  text :  we  have  labored  in 
vain,  and  spent  our  strength  for  nought  and  in  vain  ; 
yet  surely  our  judgment  is  with  the  Lord,  and  our 
work  with  our  God. 


SER.  8.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MINISTER.  105 

There  may,  however,  exist  some  sources  of  en- 
couragement under  these  dispiriting  circumstances. 
When  among  those  to  whom  we  minister,  we  per- 
ceive few  who,  convinced  of  the  vast  importance  of 
securing  their  salvation,  enter  upon  a  life  of  devo- 
tedness  to  God,  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  we  have 
labored  altogether  in  vain.  Even  where  we  have 
failed  in  our  highest  object,  inferior  good  may  be 
attained.  When  men  are  not  completely  brought 
into  a  state  of  salvation,  there  may  be  undergone 
much  preparatory  discipline. 

1.  On  this  subject  I  would  observe  that  much 
useful  knowledge  may  be  imparted  W7hich  will 
hereafter  be  productive  of  good.  The  practice  of 
religion  must  be  founded  upon  a  knowledge  of  its 
principles.  God  must  be  known — his  perfections 
acknowledged,  and  his  law  understood  ;  before  a 
conviction  of  guilt  and  danger  can  be  produced  in 
the  mind  of  the  sinner.  Jesus  Christ  must  be  ap- 
prehended in  his  person  and  offices,  ere  he  can 
become  the  ground  of  reliance.  The  respective 
retributions  of  the  just  and  the  unjust  must  be  im- 
pressed upon  the  mind,  before  the  one  can  become 
the  object  of  hope,  or  the  other  of  dread.  The 
Christian  minister,  therefore,  has  not  labored  for 
nought,  if  through  his  instrumentality  there  has  been 
impressed  upon  the  minds  of  those  whom  he  ad- 
dresses, a  firm  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel 
revelation — if  the  arguments  which  support  it  have 
14 


106  TRIALS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  SER.   8. 

been  diligently  exhibited,  and  the  objections  to  it 
satisfactorily  answered.  And  far  less  should  he 
suppose  that  his  strength  has  been  spent  for  nought, 
if  his  hearers  have  been  made  thoroughly  to  under- 
stand the  contents  of  that  revelation  ;  if  they  have 
been  made  not  only  to  understand,  but  to  admit 
them,  even  although  that  admission  should  not  have 
so  powerfully  influenced  the  conduct  as  it  should 
do.  Under  such  circumstances  as  these,  we  are  not 
to  despond.  Were  indeed  the  knowledge  imparted 
always  to  remain  unfruitful,  we  could  not  possess 
much  ground  for  self-gratulation,  inasmuch  as  those 
who  persevere  in  sinning  against  light,  sin  more 
deeply  and  fatally.  But  we  indulge  a  hope,  and  it 
is  not  an  unreasonable  one,  that  what  is  now  known 
may  be  hereafter  practiced.  He  who  is  well  in- 
structed in  the  principles  of  religion,  is  in  a  con- 
dition far  more  hopeful  than  one  who  is  ignorant  of 
them. 

In  addition  however,  to  the  preparation  for  the 
experience  of  true  religion,  which  those  under  our 
ministry  may  be  undergoing,  there  may  be  much 
good  actually  effected,  although  it  fall  short  of  that 
which  we  principally  desire. 

Although  that  supreme  regard  to  God  may  not 
be  induced  which  brings  into  captivity  every 
thought  of  the  mind  and  every  desire  of  the  heart, 
yet  there  may  arise  a  general  feeling  of  reverence 
which  did  not  before  exist,  and  which  operates  most 


SER.  8.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MINISTER.  107 

beneficially  as  a  restraint  upon  the  evil  dispositions 
of  men.  The  knowledge  that  there  remains  a  rest 
for  the  people  of  God,  while  it  fails  to  allure  us  to 
the  earnest  pursuit  of  this  rest,  may  still  prevent  so 
wide  a  deviation  from  the  path  leading  to  it  as 
would  otherwise  take  place.  Without  experiencing 
the  faith  which  changes  the  heart  and  leads  to 
salvation,  men  may  possess  that  belief  of  religious 
truth  which  will  produce  a  respect  for  the  gospel 
and  its  institutions — a  veneration  for  its  author,  and 
some  degree  of  attention  to  its  precepts. 

The  consequence  of  this  is,  that  those  who 
might  have  been  profane,  infidel,  immoral,  are 
entirely  the  reverse.  Many  excellent  sentiments  in 
regard  to  religious  subjects,  may  be  cherished — the 
tone  of  moral  feeling  in  any  particular  community 
may  be  elevated  arid  strengthened — a  general  pro- 
priety of  conduct  may  exist,  all  which  form  an 
interesting  subject  of  contemplation.  But  although 
the  view  of  such  a  state  of  things  is  truly  grateful 
to  the  Christian  minister,  yet  it  falls  far,  very  far 
short  of  that  which  he  earnestly  desires,  and  for 
which  he  labors.  And  if  he  is  not  satisfied  with 
this  result,  still  less  should  they  be  to  whom  he 
ministers.  For  it  cannot  be  too  frequently  or  too 
solemnly  inculcated  upon  you,  that  good  morals, 
and  general  respect  for  religion,  and  a  vague  feeling 
of  reverence  toward  the  Almighty,  are  not  sufficient 
to  secure  his  favor,  and  will  not  qualify  us  for  the 
inheritance  of  heaven. 


108  TRIALS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  SER.  8. 

Although  then,  under  the  circumstances  which  I 
have  mentioned,  the  minister  of  Christ  will  not  de- 
spond altogether,  yet  must  he  be  much  concerned — 
and  happy  will  he  be  should  he  be  enabled  to 
exclaim,  "  my  judgment  is  with  the  Lord,  and  my 
work  with  my  God."  When  he  can  thus  refer  his 
labors  to  be  estimated  by  Him  who  can  best 
appreciate  them,  he  should  be  satisfied.  Although 
he  should  have  failed  in  effecting  the  salvation  of 
the  people  of  his  charge,  he  shall  save  his  own  soul. 

He  indeed  must  incur  the  charge  of  presumption, 
and  must  really  be  very  deficient  in  humility  and 
self-knowledge,  who  imagines  that  he  has  in 
nothing  failed  of  his  duty.  Yet,  the  Christian 
minister  may  be  persuaded  of  his  sincerity  and 
general  faithfulness  in  his  labors.  He  is  conscious 
that  his  prayers  are  continually  offered  on  behalf  of 
the  souls  committed  to  his  care — that  his  thoughts 
are  daily  fixed  upon  their  spiritual  interests — that  in 
laboring  for  their  salvation  his  best  talents  are 
enlisted.  He  is  conscious  that  he  does  declare  to 
them,  so  far  as  diligent  attention  enables  him  to 
apprehend,  the  whole  counsel  of  God — that  he  does 
employ  every  method  which  he  can  devise,  savingly 
to  affect  them. 

But,  having  done  this  has  he  done  all  that  is  in 
his  power  ?  Who  shall  dare  to  say  this  ?  and  not 
fear  the  rebuke  of  the  Almighty  ? 

Is  it  not  enjoined  upon  us  after  we  have  done  all 


SER.  8.  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MINISTER.  109 

that  we  can  do,  to  confess  that  we  are  unprofitable 
servants  ?  Shall  an  apostle  say,  "  in  many  things  we 
all  offend  ?  "  Shall  we  accuse  the  ordinary  Christian 
of  pride  or  delusion  who  shall  imagine  that  he  has 
fulfilled  every  duty  ?  And  is  it  becoming  in  the 
Christian  minister,  whose  duties  are  far  more 
arduous,  to  say  or  think  that  he  has  perfectly 
complied  with  his  obligation  ?  Surely  not.  He 
might  more  perfectly  exemplify  in  his  own  person 
the  dispositions  and  conduct  which  he  recommends. 
His  love  might  be  more  fervent — his  exertions  more 
indefatigable.  Of  this  he  is  sensible,  and  would 
that  it  were  otherwise.  But  with  the  sincere  desire 
to  do  the  will  of  God,  his  hopes  of  acceptance  rest 
not  upon  the  perfection  of  what  he  has  done,  but 
upon  that  atonement  which  he  proclaims  to  others. 
But,  my  brethren,  one  thing  we  can  assert 
confidently,  and  in  stating  it,  I  would  apply  the 
subject  to  yourselves.  The  assertion  is,  that  in 
respect  to  their  hearers,  many  ministers  may  say — 
we  have  so  performed  our  duties  as  to  leave  you 
without  excuse.  You  cannot  plead  ignorance  of 
your  duty,  although  the  Scriptures  may  have  been 
to  you  a  sealed  book.  Yet,  through  our  minis- 
trations its  counsels  have  been  communicated  to 
you.  You  know  the  services  which  God  requires 
of  you.  You  have  been  warned  of  your  danger  in 
consequence  of  your  sins.  Time  after  time  have 
you  been  admonished  that  except  ye  repent  ye  shall 


110  TRIALS  AND  CONSOLATIONS.  SER.  8. 

all  perish.  The  futility  of  every  ground  of  confi- 
dence excepting  a  sincere  resort  to  the  salvation  of 
Jesus  Christ,  has  been  fully  and  often  exposed. 
We  have  addressed  to  you  line  upon  line,  precept 
upon  precept,  in  regard  to  your  eternal  interests — 
and  if  our  exertions  to  produce  in  you  a  due 
attention  to  them  have  been  unavailing,  and  if  they 
still  continue  fruitless,  are  we  not  absolved  from  all 
participation  in  your  destruction  ?  Shall  your 
condemnation  at  the  day  of  judgment  involve  ours 
also  ? 

Brethren,  shall  we  still  labor  almost  in  vain 
amongst  you  ?  We  are  now  ambassadors  for  Christ. 
As  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you 
in  Christ's  stead,  Be  ye  reconciled  to  God.  Long 
disobedient  to  the  divine  injunctions,  now  resolve  to 
comply  with  them — repent  and  be  converted  that 
your  sins  may  be  blotted  out.  Believe  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  take  upon  yourselves  the  profession  of 
his  name. 

Then  shall  we  not  have  labored  in  vain — we 
shall  have  consolation  under  our  toils — and  you 
will  inherit  everlasting  salvation. 


Ill 


SERMON    IX. 


OUR  FATHER  WHICH  ART  IN  HEAVEN. 


MATTHEW    vl.    9. 

After  this  manner,   therefore,  pray  ye  :    Our  Father  which 
art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy  name. 

IN  the  passage  under  view,  our  divine  Teacher 
gave  to  his  disciples  direction  in  regard  to  the  per- 
formance of  an  important  duty.  Whether  we 
consider  the  interest  of  the  subject  or  the  char- 
acter and  authority  of  the  speaker,  our  attention 
should  be  much  excited.  The  intercourse  which 
the  soul  maintains  with  God  is  principally  com- 
prised in  the  exercise  of  prayer.  To  perform  this 
duty  in  a  proper  manner,  and  with  right  feelings 
and  apprehensions,  should  be  an  object  deeply 
interesting  to  us.  Jesus  Christ  had  just  referred  to 
some  prevalent  abuses  in  regard  to  the  performance 


112  OUR    FATHER  SER.  9. 

of  this  duty  ;  he  had  noted  the  motives  of  osten- 
tation by  which  some  were  actuated  in  the  discharge 
of  their  religious  obligations,  and  he  had  condemned 
those  vain  repetitions  which  argued  a  belief  that 
their  much  speaking  would  recommend  them  to 
God.  In  opposition  to  these  practices,  he  enjoined 
it  upon  them  to  withdraw  from  the  observation  of 
men  when  they  addressed  their  private  devotions 
to  the  all-seeing  God,  and  in  every  act  of  prayer, 
whether  public  or  private,  to  be  brief  and  compre- 
hensive, persuaded  that  God  knows  all  things  which 
we  need  before  we  ask  him.  He  then  proceeds  to 
give  a  short  and  most  admirable  formula  of  devo- 
tion. We  do  not  believe  that  our  Saviour  designed 
to  confine  us  to  this  one  form  of  supplication,  or  to 
intimate  that  any  fixed  form  is  requisite  to  the 
acceptable  worship  of  Jehovah.  At  the  same  time, 
we  have  no  objection  to  urge  against  those  Chris- 
tians who  deem  their  edification  most  promoted  by 
the  use  of  such  prescribed  ceremonial.  We  are 
persuaded  merely,  that  the  text  does  not  enjoin 
such  a  mode  of  worship.  It  is  only  to  be  viewed  as 
an  exemplar  according  to  which  our  supplications 
are  to  be  conducted,  and  in  this  light  it  is  of  great 
value  to  us.  It  is  designed  to-night  to  make  some 
observations  in  elucidation  of  the  verse  which  has 
been  read  to  you.  Two  things  are  involved  in  this 
passage.  There  is  an  invocation  of  the  object  of 
our  worship ;  there  is  mention  made  of  the  general 


SER.  9.  WHICH  ART  IN  HEAVEN.  113 

feeling  which  should  be  cherished  toward  the 
Author  of  all  good. 

We  address  "  Our  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 
Prayer  is  either  offered  up  in  public,  and  then  we 
join  with  many  worshippers,  or  in  private  where 
we  nevertheless  use  the  same  form  of  address,  "  our 
Father."  The  design  of  this  is  to  intimate  that 
there  are  many  others  connected  with  God  in  the 
same  relation  as  we  are,  and  that  in  our  most  secret 
prayers  we  should  recognize  them  and  cherish  a 
brotherly  feeling  toward  them.  The  appellation 
of  Father,  which  we  are  instructed  to  bestow  upon 
the  Almighty,  also  carries  with  it  many  important 
considerations.  It  exhibits  him  to  our  view  as  our 
author  and  benefactor.  From  our  earthly  parents 
we,  in  a  subordinate  way,  derive  our  existence, 
and  they  confer  upon  us  numberless  favors.  But 
God  is  properly  the  author  of  our  being,  and  gives 
us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy.  He  is,  therefore,  our 
father  in  the  highest  and  noblest  sense  imaginable. 
Viewing  him  as  sustaining  this  relation,  we  should 
regard  him  with  feelings  of  love  and  confidence — 
love,  when  we  consider  all  his  goodness  and  excel- 
lence ;  confidence,  when  we  reflect  how  able  and 
how  willing  he  is  to  bless  us. 

He,  whom  we  address  as  the  object  of  our  wor- 
ship, is  also  exhibited  as  being  "  in  heaven."  Not 
but  that  we  are  to  consider  him  as  having  the 
universe  under  his  inspection,  as  operating  through- 
15 


114  OUR    FATHER  SER.  9. 

out  all  nature  ;  but  we  regard  him  as  peculiarly 
present  in  that  place  where  he  is  most  strikingly 
manifested  to  the  apprehensions  of  his  creatures. 
This  place  the  Scriptures  denominate  heaven. 
This  term  denotes,  sometimes,  the  atmosphere, 
sometimes  the  visible  heavens  ;  the  firmament  in 
which  the  stars  appear  fixed.  But  the  heaven  of 
heavens,  or  the  third  heaven,  as  St.  Paul  terms  it,  is 
the  centre  of  the  divine  dominion,  the  residence  of 
angels  and  perfected  spirits  of  men.  In  the  Old 
Testament,  God  is  often  spoken  of  as  being  in 
heaven,  and  with  this  phraseology,  there  are  several 
important  ideas  connected.  His  universal  presence 
is  expressed  by  it — "  The  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
contain  thee" — that  is,  Thou  fillest  immensity.  His 
majesty  and  dominion  over  his  creatures  are  also 
denoted.  "  Art  not  thou  God  in  heaven  ?  and 
rulest  not  thou  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
heathen  ?"  2  Chron.  xx.  6.  So,  also,  his  power  is 
in  this  way  referred  to.  "  Art  not  thou  God  in 
heaven  ?  and  in  thine  hand  is  there  not  power 
and  might,  so  that  none  is  able  to  withstand 
thee."  His  omniscience  is  likewise  expressed  in 
this  manner.  "  The  Lord  looketh  down  from 
heaven,  he  beholdeth  all  the  sons  of  men."  And,  in 
fine,  we  are  led  to  reflect  on  his  infinite  purity  and 
holiness.  "  Thou  art  the  high  and  lofty  one,  who 
inhabiteth  eternity,  whose  name  is  holy."  When, 
therefore,  we  address  God  as  our  Father  in  heaven, 


SER.  9.  WHICH  ART  IN  HEAVEN.  115 

we  contemplate  him  not  only  as  abundant  in  good- 
ness, but  invested  with  all  other  perfections  in  the 
highest  degree. 

The  petition  which  immediately  follows  the 
invocation,  is,  "  Hallowed  be  thy  name."  The 
name  of  God  is  often  used  to  denote  God  him- 
self, in  his  person,  attributes,  and  works.  Any 
thing  is  said  to  be  "hallowed,"  or  sanctified,  when  it 
is  separated  from  earth  and  earthly  purposes  and 
employments.  The  Almighty  is  said  to  be  sanctified 
in  our  view,  when  in  our  thoughts  we  separate  him 
from  and  elevate  him  above  all  created  things.  We 
are  to  consider  him  as  infinitely  removed  from  all 
human  ignorance,  feebleness,  imperfection,  and 
impurity.  We  shall  thus  be  remarkably  distin- 
guished from  the  worshippers  of  all  false  gods,  who 
cherish  most  degrading  views  of  their  divinities. 
Let  us  more  particularly  inquire,  how  we  may  act 
consistently  with  the  petition  now  under  view. 
We  are,  then,  in  the  first  place,  to  hallow  God's 
name  with  our  lips.  This  is  done  when  our  con- 
versation is  pure  ;  such  as  will  have  no  corrupting 
influence,  such  as  will  not  be  offensive  to  the  ears 
of  good  men,  such  as  becomes  one  who  is  sensible 
of  the  continual  presence  of  the  pure  and  holy  God. 
This  is  also  done,  when  we  reverently  use  the 
divine  names  in  conversation  and  worship,  or  when 
we  speak  of  his  works  and  dispensations  with 
becoming  modesty  and  humility.  God  is,  more- 


116  OUR    FATHER  SER.  9. 

over,  sanctified  in  our  thoughts,  when  we  have  an 
abiding  sense  of  his  presence  and  a  conviction  of  his 
glorious  perfections.  It  is  thus  a  spiritual  homage 
is  continually  paid  to  him,  even  in  the  midst  of  the 
avocations  of  life.  It  is  thus  by  the  continual  con- 
templation of  perfect  goodness  and  righteousness, 
that  we  become  transformed  into  the  same  likeness. 
The  last  particular  in  which  God  is  to  be  sanctified 
by  us,  is  in  the  actions  of  life.  Believing  him  to 
be  infinitely  worthy  of  our  regard,  and  feeling  our 
obligation  to  subserve  his  will,  we  shall,  in  all  our 
pursuits,  have  a  regard  to  his  glory.  We  shall  not 
only  ourselves  adore  him,  we  shall  endeavor  to 
excite  this  adoration  on  the  part  of  others.  We 
will,  ourselves,  obey  his  holy  precepts,  and,  as  far 
as  in  us  lies,  promote  his  rightful  dominion  over  all 
his  creatures.  Bestowing  a  due  attention  upon 
these  things,  our  lives  and  our  prayers  will  be  con- 
sistent, our  supplications  will  not  indicate  a  regard 
to  one  thing,  and  our  actual  conduct  prove  a  devo- 
tion to  something  different  and  opposite. 

These  observations  have  been  designed  to  eluci- 
date the  first  portion  of  the  prayer,  which  Jesus 
Christ  taught  to  his  disciples.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  add  any  thing  more  with  the  same  intention. 
We  may,  however,  appropriate  the  remarks  which 
have  been  made,  with  a  reference  to  the  govern- 
ment of  our  hearts  and  the  direction  of  our  conduct. 
It  has  been  seen  that  the  text  contains  an  invoca- 


SER.  9.  WHICH  ART  IN  HEAVEN.  117 

tion  of  God  as  sustaining  a  particular  relation  to  us. 
Have  we,  then,  the  right  to  claim  this  relationship 
to  its  full  extent  ?  and  are  we  under  the  influence 
of  the  feelings  belonging  to  it  ?  Perhaps  we  have 
not  this  right,  for  it  does  not  pertain  to  all  men  in 
its  most  striking  sense.  Our  Saviour  is,  in  this 
passage,  instructing  his  disciples  how  to  pray.  And 
their  condition  was  not  that  which  is  natural  to  the 
human  race.  They  are  the  creatures  of  God  and 
beneficiaries  of  his  goodness,  and  may  thus  call  him 
Father  in  a  sense  which  may  be  applied  to  every 
man.  But  God  was  their  father  in  a  peculiar 
sense.  They  were  penitent,  obedient  to  his  will, 
and  relying  on  his  grace,  and  were  thus  brought  into 
a  new  and  interesting  relation  to  him. 

Now  it  is  most  important  for  us  to  know,  whether 
we  have  been  brought  into  this  relation  ;  otherwise 
we  can  neither  pray  with  correct  feelings,  nor  can 
we  indulge  a  reasonable  hope  of  being  accepted. 
For  genuine  prayer  only  has  its  origin  in  a  soul 
humbled  and  contrite.  With  any  other  feelings  it 
is  presumptious  to  address  as  our  Father  him  whom 
we  have  so  deeply  offended.  Let  us,  moreover, 
inquire  whether,  in  our  addresses  to  him,  we 
bestow  due  attention  in  having  his  name  hallowed 
in  our  thoughts.  He  that  comes  to  God  aright  has 
deep  impressions  of  his  glory  and  awful  reverence 
of  his  majesty.  He  allows  not  his  thoughts  to  be 
engaged  with  vanities  ;  he  presumes  not  to  name 


118  OUR    FATHER.  SER  9. 

the  Almighty  without  deep  self-abasement.  And,  in 
fine,  brethren,  when  we  pray  that  God's  name  may 
be  hallowed  in  our  thoughts,  let  us  pray  in  sincerity 
and  strive  to  have  our  souls  occupied  with  glorious 
meditations  on  him  ;  and  let  the  sense  of  his 
majesty  and  the  conception  of  his  excellency,  which 
exist  in  the  hour  of  fervent  devotion,  be  in  some 
degree  preserved  during  every  moment  of  our  lives. 
We  shall  thus  be  prepared  for  every  duty ;  be 
enabled  to  contend  with  temptation,  and  fitted  for 
praying  without  ceasing. 


119 


SERMON    X. 


THY  KINGDOM  COME,  THY  WILL  BE  DONE. 


MATTHEW  Vl.    10. 

Thy  kingdom  come.     Thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in 

heaven. 

GOD  maintains  over  the  universe  the  kingdom  of 
his  providence.  He  possesses  a  supremacy  over  all 
created  things,  and  in  the  exercise  of  it  he  performs 
all  his  pleasure.  He  hath  appointed  to  all  nations 
the  place  of  their  habitation, — the  revolutions  of 
empires  are  the  result  of  his  will ;  nor  is  the  des- 
tiny of  individuals  less  under  his  control.  He 
raises  up  those  destroyers  of  mankind  who  are  the 
instruments  of  his  justice,  and  he  abases  them 
again  when  this  end  is  answered.  He  renders  a 
nation  prosperous  and  renowned,  and  he  again  re- 
duces its  glory  to  the  dust.  Individuals  have  their 


V      !%  *  '^    *% 

*  *•<<• '  -f  • . 

120  THY    KINGDOM    COME,  SER.   10. 

portion  assigned  to  them  in  life.  They  are  nour- 
ished in  affluence,  and  exist  in  continual  happiness, 
— they  are  born  in  poverty,  and  dwell  in  misery  ; 
or  their  lot  comprises  a  mixed  experience  of  enjoy- 
ment and  suffering.  Such  things  doth  the  Almighty, 
and  none  can  resist  his  will,  or  say  unto  him  what 
dost  thou  ?  All  his  designs  advance  surely  and 
steadily  to  their  accomplishment, — pious  and  im- 
pious men  ;  good  and  evil  angels  ;  all  must  yield  to 
his  irresistible  sway. 

But  God  has  also  established  in  the  world  the 
kingdom  of  his  grace.  It  is  a  dispensation  of 
things  designed  to  restore  the  human  race  to  holi- 
ness. It  has  for  its  object  to  restore  in  the  hearts 
of  men  that  dominion  of  God  which  had  been 
destroyed  in  the  evil  hour  when  the  tempter 
triumphed.  Originally,  the  moral  influence  of  the 
Creator  over  his  creatures  was  concurrent  with  his 
controlling  providence.  But  when  man  had  lost 
his  primitive  righteousness  and  depravity  had  taken 
hold  on  his  nature,  he  did  not  respect  the  authority 
of  God,  but  stood  in  open  rebellion  against  him. 
Affectionate  obedience  wrill,  however,  again  be  ren- 
dered, and  subservience  to  the  will  of  the  most 
holy  One  will  distinguish  every  man  ;  when  the 
"  kingdom  of  God  shall  come,  when  his  will  shall 
be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  These 
expressions  indicate  the  prevalence  of  perfect  right- 
eousness and  holiness  among  men.  And  for  this 


v       '    -  *v 

SER.   10.  THY    WILL    BE    DONE.  121 

issue  to  the  present  disordered  state  of  things,  we 
are  directed  to  pray  and  look.  Let  us  for  a 
moment  reflect  how  happy  the  world  would  be  in 
such  a  condition.  The  desolating  contentions  of 
nations  would  cease.  Torrents  of  human  blood 
would  no  longer  flow  to  gratify  the  ambition  or 
hatred  of  individuals  or  of  states.  Wars  would 
cease  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  "  swords  would  be 
beat  into  ploughshares,  and  spears  into  priming- 
hooks." 

There  would  also  exist  no  longer  those  strifes 
which  distract  communities  and  embitter  social  in- 
tercourse. The  vices  which  involve  injurious  treat- 
ment of  others,  or  which  are  ruinous  to  ourselves, 
would  be  corrected  ;  and  thus  the  calamities  of  life 
would  be  to  a  great  degree  obviated.  Some  of  the 
natural  evils  arising  out  of  the  decaying  condition 
of  our  bodies  would  alone  remain.  Such  are  the 
happy  consequences,  in  a  negative  view,  which 
would  follow  the  coming  of  God's  kingdom,  from 
his  will  being  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.  In 
a  positive  view,  the  happy  results  of  this  state  of 
things  are  most  striking.  Men  would  worship  and 
serve  the  Almighty,  and  feel  a  delight  in  so  doing — 
they  would  love  and  do  good  to  each  other,  and 
harmoniously  concur  in  the  advancement  of  the 
general  happiness.  These  are  delightful  anticipa- 
tions ;  but  may  we  expect  ever  to  see  them 
realized  ?  Whether  in  their  full  extent  we  shall 
16 


122  THY    KINGDOM    COME,  SER.   10. 

see  them,  we  know  not.  We  are  directed  to  pray 
for  this  entire  prevalence  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  there  are  many  predictions  which  authorize  us 
to  expect  this  prevalence  to  a  great  extent.  And 
these  predictions  cannot  be  fulfilled  without  a  far 
wider  extension  of  the  gospel  and  subjection  of  the 
hearts  of  men  to  its  principles,  than  what  we  now 
witness.  You  may  take  any  of  the  numerous 
prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah  and  his  spiritual 
reign  on  earth.  But  we  would  direct  your  attention 
to  that  remarkable  one  contained  in  Daniel  xi., 
where  an  account  is  given  of  the  dream  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. A  great  image  W7as  seen,  whose  head 
was  of  gold,  the  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  the  body 
and  thighs  of  brass,  the  legs  iron,  and  the  feet  part 
of  iron  and  part  of  clay.  In  the  interpretation  of 
the  dream,  the  different  parts  of  the  image  are 
referred  to  the  several  great  empires  which  succes- 
sively extended  over  the  civilized  world.  In  the 
dream  there  was  also  seen  a  stone  cut  out  of  the 
mountains  without  hands,  which  struck  the  feet  of 
the  image  and  broke  it  in  pieces.  This  stone  is 
said  to  have  become  a  great  mountain,  and  to 
have  filled  the  whole  earth.  The  meaning  of  this 
is  explained  in  the  following  terms ;  "  and  in  the 
days  of  those  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up 
a  kingdom  which  shall  never  be  destroyed:  and  the 
kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it 
shall  beat  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  king- 


SER.   10.  THY    WILL    BE    DONE.  123 

doms,  and  it  shall  stand  forever."  We  have  seen 
the  empires  referred  to  in  the  prophecy  successively 
arise  and  flourish — we  have  seen  them  in  turn  sub- 
dued— and,  during  the  continuance  of  the  last  one, 
that  of  the  Romans,  we  have  seen  the  God  of 
heaven  set  up  a  kingdom  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
which  we  are  authorized  to  believe  will  increase  in 
extent  until  the  whole  earth  shall  submit  to  its 
sway.  Christ  was  manifested  —  his  gospel  was 
preached  by  his  apostles,  and  then  the  kingdom  of 
God  was  come — not,  however,  in  its  full  glory. 
This  is  yet  the  subject  of  hope,  and  our  Saviour 
has  enjoined  it  upon  us  to  make  it  the  object  of  our 
prayers.  The  obvious  instrument  of  this  advance- 
ment is  the  preaching  of  the  gospel — the  invisible 
instrument,  whose  concurrence  is  necessary,  is  the 
secret  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  one  is 
in  a  great  degree  in  our  hands.  The  other  is 
beyond  our  control ;  and  yet,  in  the  use  of  the 
divinely  appointed  means,  we  may  expect  the 
blessing  of  Him  who  has  ordained  them.  As 
therefore  we  pray  for  the  advancement  of  the  king- 
dom of  God,  it  is  our  duty  to  promote  this  object 
by  our  exertions.  But  how  may  our  labors  be  in- 
strumental in  producing  a  result  which  must  ulti- 
mately depend  upon  the  power  and  grace  of  God. 
It  is  in  this  manner.  There  are  two  great  means 
which  we  have  in  our  hands,  which,  under  the 
divine  blessing,  will  be  effectual.  These  are  the 


124  THY    KINGDOM    COME,  SER.   10. 

extended  distribution  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
mission  of  its  duly  authorized  ministers  into  those 
situations  where  the  gospel  is  unknown.  There 
are  nations  into  which  the  light  of  revealed  truth 
has  not  penetrated  ; — there  are  those  in  lands  gen- 
erally Christian,  who  sit  in  darkness.  Faith  in 
Christ  is  the  appointed  way  of  salvation.  And  in 
the  language  of  the  apostle,  "  how  can  they  believe 
in  Him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ;  and  how 
can  they  hear  without  a  preacher  ;  and  how  can 
they  preach  except  they  be  sent."  We  who  enjoy 
the  light  of  truth  and  numerous  spiritual  blessings, 
are  bound  to  impart  the  same  knowledge  and 
privileges  to  others.  It  was  thus  Christianity  was 
propagated  at  the  beginning.  Men  zealous  for  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  souls  passed  from 
nation  to  nation  preaching  Christ  crucified  as  the 
only  Saviour  of  men.  It  is  in  this  manner  we  must 
expect  the  conquests  of  the  cross  still  farther  to 
extend.  The  Almighty  does  not  usually  operate 
otherwise  than  through  the  instrumentality  of 
human  agents.  And  he  calls  upon  us  to  bear  our 
part  in  communicating  the  blessings  of  salvation  to 
the  whole  human  race.  The  good  will  and  the 
assisting  hand  should  not,  therefore,  be  withholden 
from  this  great  and  excellent  work,  otherwise  we  are 
guilty  of  mockery  when  we  pray,  "  Thy  kingdom 
come,  thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven." 
There  is  another  view  in  which  this  petition  may 


SER.   10.  THY    WILL    BE    DONE.  125 

be  regarded.  In  praying  for  the  universal  preva- 
lence of  holiness,  we  pray  for  our  spiritual  improve- 
ment. With  respect  to  our  own  conduct,  we  pray 
that  the  divine  will  may  be  done  by  us  in  earth,  as 
angels  and  perfected  spirits  perform  it  in  heaven. 
In  this  view,  the  petition  is  a  most  comprehensive 
one.  It  has  for  its  object  the  sanctification  of  all 
men,  and  our  own  W7ith  theirs. 

My  brethren,  while  we  offer  up  this  prayer,  let 
us  have  our  hearts  deeply  impressed  with  the  im- 
portance of  the  object  had  in  view.  We  indulge  a 
hope  that  when  the  trials  of  life  are  passed,  we 
shall  be  admitted  to  the  divine  presence.  But  how 
can  we  cherish  this  hope,  unless  we  are  earnest  in 
our  exertions  to  obtain  the  character  which  will 
qualify  us  for  this  privilege?  If  we  are  not  deceived 
in  our  expectations,  we  shall  hereafter  perfectly  do 
the  divine  will.  Let  us  therefore  now  diligently 
endeavor  to  make  approaches  toward  this  perfection, 
by  growing  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

1  have  yet  one  more  observation  to  make,  which 
relates  to  the  order  in  which  the  petitions  are 
placed  in  the  text.  The  first  of  these,  which  has 
been  most  under  our  view,  relates  to  spiritual  bles- 
sings ;  the  one  which  succeeds,  has  for  its  object 
temporal  good.  This  arrangement  denotes  the 
estimation  in  which  we  should  respectively  hold 
these  blessings.  The  former  we  should  first  seek, 


126  THY    KINGDOM    COME.  SER.   10. 

and  that  with  the  most  earnest  desire.  The  reason 
of  this  is  obvious.  The  former  are  connected  with 
the  interests  of  the  soul ;  the  latter  with  those  of 
the  body.  The  former  are  therefore  far  the  most 
worthy  the  pursuit  of  a  rational  being.  But  the 
most  striking  difference  between  them  is,  that  the 
one  relate  to  eternity,  the  other  are  limited  to  time. 
The  one  make  us  happy  for  a  few  days  and  years, 
the  other  ensure  our  eternal  well  being.  Are  you 
not  then  satisfied  which  deserves  your  preference  ? 
Your  judgment  cannot  hesitate.  Act  then  con- 
sistently with  its  dictates  ;  and,  whether  Christians 
or  otherwise,  I  pray  you  to  obey  the  Saviour's  in- 
junction, "  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
his  righteousness,  and  all  these "  inferior  "  things 
shall  be  added  unto  you." 


127 


SERMON    XI. 


GIVE  US  THIS  DAY  OUR  DAILY  BREAD. 


MATTHEW    vi.    11. 

Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. 

WE  are  ready  always  to  acknowledge  that  spir- 
itual blessings  flow  immediately  from  the  Almighty. 
Forgiveness  of  sin  and  a  title  to  eternal  life,  are  not 
to  be  expected  from  any  other  source.  As  these 
most  obviously  depend  solely  upon  the  will  of  God, 
no  one  presumes  to  seek  them  in  any  other  way 
than  by  obtaining  the  divine  favor.  The  case  is 
different  with  respect  to  temporal  good.  In  regard 
to  this,  we  are  apt  not  to  be  so  sensible  of  our  entire 
dependence.  We  imagine  that  our  own  exertions 
are  sufficient  to  compass  this  object.  And  thus 
there  is  a  species  of  atheism  cherished  by  those  who 
would  shudder  at  the  name.  For  this  charge  is  not 


128  GIVE    US    THIS    DAY  SER.   11. 

merely  applicable  to  those  who  deny  the  being  of  a 
God  ;  but  in  a  subordinate  manner  may  be  directed 
against  those  who  detract  from  his  perfections,  or 
limit  his  operations.  By  the  mass  of  men  it  will 
not  be  denied  that  God  created  all  things  ;  but  that 
all  things  are  ordered  by  his  providence,  is  often 
forgotten — or  at  all  events  we  admit  this  truth  in  a 
very  general  sense.  We  may  perhaps  adopt  the 
notion  so  derogatory  to  the  Almighty,  that  created 
things  have  such  tendencies  given  to  them,  and  are 
subjected  to  such  general  laws,  that  like  a  well  con- 
structed machine,  they  discharge  their  appropriate 
functions  independently  of  any  subsequent  care  of 
Him  who  formed  them.  And  thus  it  is  concluded 
that  God  concerns  not  himself  with  the  affairs  of 
men.  But  this  idea  is  in  itself,  most  erroneous  ;  in 
its  consequences,  most  fatal.  The  Scriptures  not 
only  teach  the  general  doctrine  of  providence,  but 
the  petition  of  the  text  inculcates  that  it  extends  to 
the  minutest  circumstances.  It  concerns  itself  with 
our  most  common  wants.  Our  very  subsistence 
depends  on  the  care  and  goodness  of  God.  Do  you 
doubt  this  fact  ?  Reflect  for  a  moment,  and  you 
will  be  satisfied  with  regard  to  it.  It  rests  solely 
with  the  Almighty  how  long  the  means  of  support 
which  we  now  enjoy  will  be  continued  to  us.  A 
single  one  of  the  many  calamities  with  which  he 
could  visit  us,  would  reduce  us  to  poverty  and 
distress.  Moreover  the  success  of  our  daily  ex- 


SER.   11.  OUR  DAILY  BREAD.  129 

ertions  depends  on  him.  He  gives  us  health,  sup- 
ports our  strength,  and  arranges  those  numerous 
circumstances  which  have  a  great  influence  in  pro- 
moting our  prosperity.  It  is  therefore  apparent  that 
we  should  feel  and  acknowledge  entire  dependence 
upon  God  for  temporal,  as  well  as  spiritual  good. 
The  cherishing  of  this  feeling  is  of  very  great  im- 
portance. Its  permanent  existence  in  the  heart,  is  a 
more  certain  evidence  of  piety  than  any  stated  ex- 
pression of  praise,  or  rendering  of  acknowledgment. 
It  is  always  connected  with  gratitude  to  God.  For 
in  the  numberless  blessings  which  the  subject  of  this 
feeling  enjoys,  he  recognizes  the  beneficent  hand  of 
Providence  continually  operating.  It  is  also  at- 
tended with  a  solicitude  to  obtain  and  preserve  the 
divine  favor,  which  wrill  strongly  excite  to  obedience. 
And  thus  is  a  state  of  mind  produced  which  will  be 
agreeable  to  God,  and  which  will  conduce  to  our 
own  goodness  and  happiness. 

But  not  only  does  the  text  inculcate  a  sense  of 
dependence  upon  the  Almighty  for  temporal  good  ; 
there  is  a  moderation  in  our  desires  with  regard  to 
its  possession,  which  is  implied  in  the  language  of 
the  petition  before  us.  We  pray  to  the  Author  of 
good  to  "  Give  us  our  daily  bread."  About  the 
meaning  of  the  original  word,  rendered  in  our  trans- 
lation "  daily,"  there  has  existed  much  diversity  of 
opinion.  As  our  object  on  these  occasions  is  not  to 
deal  in  critical  illustration,  but  to  take  practical 
17 


130  GIVE  US  THIS  DAY  SER.  11. 

views  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  there  will  riot 
be  any  time  spent  in  referring  to  these  various 
opinions.  It  will  be  enough  to  state  the  explication 
which  is  deemed  most  satisfactory,  arid  which  suf- 
ficiently agrees  with  the  word  in  our  translation. 
This  explication  of  the  original  term  is  "  sufficient 
for  our  support."  "  Give  us  bread  sufficient  for  our 
support."  We  thus  pray  for  competence,  not  for 
abundance.  It  is  reasonable  that  we  should  do  this, 
and  it  is  improper  for  us  to  do  more  than  this. 

It  is  our  duty  to  be  diligent  in  business,  and  if  the 
blessing  of  God  make  us  rich,  let  us  be  thankful  for 
his  gifts,  and  let  us  improve  them  wisely.  Bat  we 
should  not  pray  for  wealth  in  an  absolute  manner, 
that  is,  without  making  the  proviso  that  it  be  really 
for  our  good.  For  in  truth  we  know  not  what 
effect  great  prosperity  might  have  upon  us.  We 
cannot  say  confidently  that  our  actual  enjoyment 
would  be  increased  by  it.  Or  if  this  should  be  the 
case,  in  a  moral  and  religious  view,  we  may  suffer 
great  detriment.  In  taking  this  view  of  the  subject, 
we  cannot  but  be  struck  with  the  admirable  wisdom 
displayed  in  the  prayer  of  Agur,  «  Give  me  neither 
poverty  nor  riches  :  feed  me  with  food  convenient 
for  me,  lest  I  be  full  and  deny  thee,  and  say,  who  is 
the  Lord ;  or  lest  I  be  poor  and  steal,  and  take  the 
name  of  my  God  in  vain."  You  have  here  very 
distinctly  noted  the  danger  of  prosperity,  "  Lest  I  be 
full  and  deny  thee,  and  say,  Who  is  the  Lord." 


SER.   11.  OUR  DAILY  BREAD.  131 

The  first  evil  to  be  dreaded  is  forgetfulness  of  God. 
Have  you  not  seen  the  fear  of  the  Almighty  effaced 
from  the  mind  of  one  who  has  been  raised  to  great 
affluence  ;  and  when  far  greater  reason  for  thank- 
fulness had  thus  been  afforded,  much  less  of  it  has 
been  rendered.  The  cares  of  the  world  and  the 
deceitfulness  of  riches  have  choked  any  good  im- 
pressions which  were  springing  up  in  the  heart. 
The  soul  is  either  filled  with  pride,  or  intoxicated 
with  pleasure,  and  the  most  solemn  duties  of  life 
remain  unattended  to. 

Do  we  not  also  observe  oftentimes  the  corrupting 
influence  of  wealth  upon  the  morals  of  those  who 
have  acquired  it  ?  Those  who  have  been  sober, 
modest,  and  diligent  in  business,  become  intem- 
perate, arrogant,  and  negligent  even  of  ordinary 
duties.  Now  this  is  a  change  much  to  be  dreaded, 
and  when  we  feel  disposed  to  pray  to  God  to  give 
us  more  than  a  competence,  we  should  bear  in  mind 
that  the  granting  our  petition  might  be  the  greatest 
calamity  which  could  be  inflicted  upon  us.  But  the 
prayer  which  we  are  considering  not  only  implies 
moderation  in  our  wishes  after  temporal  things,  it 
also  forbids  our  anxiously  looking  into  futurity. 
We  are  not  to  distress  ourselves  in  relation  to  the 
wants  of  future  days.  Give  us  to-day  or  each  day, 
our  daily  bread.  Let  us  not,  however,  be  misun- 
derstood. It  is  not  the  design  of  the  Scriptures, 
neither  is  it  ours  to  discountenance  a  wise  provision 


132  GIVE  US  THIS  DAY  SER.   11. 

for  our  future  wants  ;  the  evil  forbidden,  is  an  in- 
dulgence in  anxiety  on  account  of  them — an  anxiety 
which  argues  a  distrust  of  divine  Providence,  and  is 
therefore  improper.  It  is  in  this  light  we  are  to 
regard  the  admonitions  of  our  Saviour.  "  Therefore 
take  no  thought,"  i.  e.  be  not  anxious,  "  saying,  what 
shall  we  eat,  or  what  shall  we  drink,  or  wherewithal 
shall  we  be  clothed  ?"  The  reason  is  assigned.  Is 
not  life  more  than  meat,  and  the  body  than  raiment  ? 
God  has  conferred  upon  you  life,  and  formed  your 
bodies  ;  will  he  not  support  the  one  and  clothe  the 
other  ?  Having  conferred  the  greater  gifts,  will  he 
withhold  the  less  ? 

Our  Saviour's  intention,  therefore,  was  to  in- 
culcate a  reliance  upon  the  goodness  of  divine  Prov- 
idence; a  reliance  which,  although  inconsistent  with 
anxious  carefulness  about  the  future,  is  perfectly 
compatible  with  the  exercise  of  diligence  in  our 
temporal  concerns.  And  in  perfect  consonance  with 
this  precept,  is  the  feeling  which  prompts  the  pe- 
tition, "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread." 

The  prayer  which  is  under  our  view  as  far  as  we 
have  considered  it,  appears  to  refer  to  two  species 
of  good,  spiritual  and  temporal ;  both  are  necessary 
for  us,  but  in  very  unequal  degrees  ;  both  proceed 
only  from  God,  and  should  be  therefore  the  object 
of  prayer  to  the  Giver  of  all  good.  Let  us,  then, 
in  our  daily  employments  feel  our  entire  dependence 
upon  Him  in  whom  we  live,  and  move,  and  have 


SER.   11.  OUR  DAILY  BREAD.  133 

our  being  ;  let  us  expect  his  blessing  to  crown  with 
success  our  exertions  for  the  attainment  of  present 
good.  But  let  our  strongest  desires  and  greatest 
exertions,  be  directed  toward  obtaining  reconciliation 
with  God,  and  preserving  communion  with  him. 


"io  JUG  ,vtlD3ifiif) 


134 


SERMON   XII. 


LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION. 


MATTHEW   vi.    13. 
Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil. 

IT  is  becoming  in  us  to  form  a  sober  estimate 
of  our  powers,  and  it  is  as  wise  as  it  is  becoming. 
This  remark  is  true  in  reference  to  the  common 
concerns  of  life.  The  want  of  a  proper  conception 
of  our  strength  or  our  weakness  will  induce  a 
spirit  of  presumption.  And  this  will  induce  us  to 
undertake  enterprises  to  which  we  are  incompetent, 
from  which  will  necessarily  result  the  shame  of 
defeat ;  or  it  will  place  us  in  circumstances  of 
difficulty,  out  of  which  we  cannot  be  extricated. 
But  our  remark  applies  more  forcibly  when  viewed 
in  reference  to  our  spiritual  concerns.  Ignorance 
of  our  own  weakness  in  ordinary  life,  may  lead  to 


SER.   12.      LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION.  135 

great  evils.     In  the  life  of  the  Christian  the  evils 
which  arise  from  the  same  source  may  be  fatal. 

The  petition  before  us  is  dictated  bj  that  hu- 
mility of  mind  which,  sensible  of  human  depravity 
and  weakness,  desires  not  to  be  too  severely  tried. 
The  prayer  is — 

I.  That    we  may  not  be  brought  into  circum- 
stances of  pressing   trial. 

II.  That  if  it  be  the  divine  will  that  we  should  be 
so  tried,  he  would  by  his  power  and  grace  extricate 
us  from  the  danger  which  threatens  to  destroy  us. 

I.  In  considering  the  language  of  the  text  we 
are  struck  with  a  peculiarity  which  belongs  to  it. 
To  intimate  that  the  holy  God  leads  us  into 
temptation,  seems  to  savor  of  impiety.  This 
difficulty  may,  however,  be  easily  removed.  It 
was  common  among  the  Jews  in  accordance  with 
the  idiom  of  their  language,  to  represent  God  as 
doing  that  which  he  merely  permits  to  be  done. 
We  may  therefore  understand  the  petition  before 
us  as  meaning — "  Suffer  us  not  to  be  led  into 
temptation."  As  to  the  temptation  referred  to,  it 
may  either  mean  seductions  to  sin  or  a  trial  of  our 
faith  by  severe  affliction.  In  regard  to  the  former, 
God  has  no  agency.  "  He  is  not  tempted  with 
evil,  neither  tempteth  he  any  man."  The  latter 
may  be  the  direct  visitation  of  his  hand.  Temp- 
tation in  either  of  these  senses  is  often  the 
prelude  to  transgression,  and  transgression  issues  in 


136      LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION.   SER.  12. 

death.  That  accordingly,  from  which  such  fatal 
effects  may  arise,  should  be  greatly  the  object  of 
our  dread.  We  have  in  ourselves  tendencies  to 
evil  which  are  always  operating.  Certain  circum- 
stances may,  however,  give  them  increased  force, 
or  furnish  greater  facilities  for  their  operation — 
and  then  is  our  safety  greatly  endangered.  Let  us 
for  a  moment  consider  this  fact  more  particularly. 

The  dispositition  to  forget  God  is  a  natural  one 
in  the  human  heart.  And  God  may  be  forgotten 
either  through  the  hurry  and  vanity  of  mind  induced 
by  a  life  of  dissipation,  or  through  the  press  of 
temporal  business.  Now,  averse  as  we  are  at  all 
times,  to  preserve  the  remembrance  of  the  Al- 
mighty in  our  hearts,  this  aversion  is  felt  with 
redoubled  force  when  we  mingle  in  gay  society — 
when  we  indulge  in  fascinating  amusements — when 
the  pageantries  of  life  are  presented  to  allure  our 
desires.  Under  these  circumstances  we  are  tempt- 
ed, and  whether  this  temptation  be  moderate  or 
severe,  there  is  great  danger — for  if  yielded  to,  we 
become  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than  of  God  ;  and 
this  is  one  of  the  marks  of  reprobation. 

2.  The  tendency  to  forget  God  to  which  we 
have  alluded,  is  moreover  increased  by  too  much 
occupation  with  our  temporal  concerns — and  we 
are  led  into  temptation  when  we  suffer  our  minds 
to  bestow  much  thought  upon  them. 

But,  besides  this  tendency  to  forget  our  Maker, 


SER.  12.       LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION.  137 

human  nature  is  distinguished  by  many  evil  pro- 
pensities which  require  to  be  kept  in  subjection, 
and  whose  influence  becomes  much  stronger  under 
certain  circumstances.  The  propensity  to  dishon- 
esty 4>r  instance,  where  it  exists,  becomes  powerful 
when  there  is  something  very  alluring  in  the  object, 
and  when  there  is  perfect  security  against  dis- 
covery. iW  disposition  to  indulge  in  intempe- 
rance is  fostered  by  the  habit  of  associating  with 
certain  individuals,  or  frequenting  certain  places, 
and  so  it  is  in  regard  to  many  other  things.  Now, 
in  regard  to  this  species  of  temptation,  when  we 
utter  the  petition  of  the  text,  we  should  connect 
with  our  prayers  our  own  exertions — for  when  we 
ourselves  rush  into  that  very  evil  which  we  are 
deprecating,  we  are  guilty  of  a  solemn  mockery  of 
God.  Let  us  beware  that  we  are  not  at  any  time 
guilty  of  this  offence. 

We  have  seen  that  one  species  of  temptation 
consists  in  a  seduction  to  sin — of  this  we  have 
spoken.  There  was  another  mentioned  by  us, 
which  consists  in  the  trial  of  our  faith  by  severe 
affliction.  Such  was  the  trial  which  the  upright 
Job  sustained.  Such  was  that  to  which  the  holy 
martyrs  were  subjected — they  were  put  to  the 
proof,  that  it  might  be  ascertained  whether  their 
hope  in  God  and  attachment  to  him  could  be 
shaken.  To  similar  trials  are  the  saints  in  all 
ages  subjected ;  and  these  are  sometimes  directly 
18 


138      LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION.   SER.  12. 

inflicted  by  the  Almighty,  sometimes  they  arise 
from  the  agency  of  men,  but  not  independently  of 
an  overruling  Providence.  Through  the  furnace 
of  affliction  our  graces  are  often  purified — yet  the 
affliction  may  be  so  severe  as  almost  to  overpower 
us.  It  is  therefore  perfectly  consistent  with  sub- 
mission to  the  divine  will,  and  with  a  confidence 
in  the  power  of  the  divine  grace  to  support  us,  that 
we  pray — "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation." 

II.  The  second  part  of  the  petition  is — "but 
deliver  us  from  evil."  And  we  before  remarked 
that  its  meaning  was,  that  God  would  deliver  us 
out  of  this  severe  trial,  should  it  be  his  will  to 
subject  us  to  it.  For  wise  and  merciful  purposes 
our  heavenly  Father  sometimes  places  us  in  cir- 
cumstances of  danger  and  distress — he  sometimes 
permits  his  children  to  be  assaulted  by  violent 
temptations  to  sin.  Then  ..our  only  confidence 
must  be  in  his  strength  who  is  alone  able  to 
deliver  us. 

The  closing  part  of  the  supplication  of  the  text 
may  however  be  taken  in  a  more  extended  sense — 
there  is  nothing  to  limit  the  term  evil,  so  as  to 
confine  it  to  temptation — it  may  refer  to  all  that 
we  can  imagine  as  the  opposite  of  goodness  and 
enjoyment.  In  this  view  of  the  passage  we  pray 
to  be  delivered  from  sin  and  suffering — from  the 
crimes  and  afflictions  of  this  life,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  God  in  another  world. 


SER.  12.       LEAD  US  NOT  INTO  TEMPTATION.  139 

Some  remarks  have  thus  been  made  on  the 
prayer  before  us,  and  I  would  now  close  by 
exhorting  you,  earnestly  and  at  all  times  to  use 
this  supplication.  You  are  exposed  to  many  temp- 
tations— you  are  liable  to  many  afflictions — evils  of 
the  most  awful  character,  in  another  world,  await 
the  impenitent.  From  all  these  evils  God  can 
deliver  you — and  you  have  every  encouragement  to 
seek  deliverance.  Come  then  to  a  throne  of  grace 
that  you  may  obtain  mercy  and  strength  to  support 
you  under  every  difficulty. 


140 


SERMON    XIII. 


FOR   THINE    IS   THE    KINGDOM 


ATTHEW  Vi.   13. 

For  thine  is    the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory, 
for  ever.     Amen. 

WE  are  not  inclined  to  repose  confidence  where 
we  believe  it  to  be  undeserved.  We  will  not 
exercise  dependence  upon  one  whom  we  believe 
unable  to  benefit  us.  And  God  will  not  be  the 
object  of  our  reliance,  the  Being  to  whom  we  direct 
our  prayers,  unless  he  is  in  our  apprehension,  an 
object  worthy  of  the  highest  regard.  It  was 
therefore  most  proper  that  a  perfect  formula  of 
devotion,  such  as  our  Lord  designed  to  give  his 
disciples,  should  have  reference  to  the  reasons 
which  authorize  a  full  reliance  upon  the  Supreme 
Being.  This  is  contained  in  the  doxology  which 


SER.  13.     FOR  THINE  IS  THE  KINGDOM.        141 

closes  the  prayer — "  For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and 
the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever.     Amen." 

To  God  belongs  the  kingdom  of  universal  nature, 
and  the  fullness  of  Almighty  power,  and  the  glory  of 
infinite  perfection.  And  should  he  not  be  loved, 
and  honored,  and  obeyed,  and  trusted,  by  all  his 
creatures  ? 

"To  God  belongs  the  kingdom  of  universal 
nature."  This  we  had  occasion  to  consider 
while  explaining  one  of  the  first  petitions  of  the 
prayer  under  view.  We  endeavored  to  represent  in 
a  striking  manner,  the  control  which  the  Most 
High  exerted  over  the  destinies  of  nations  and 
individuals — and  we  thence  made  a  transition  to 
the  administration  of  grace  under  which  men  were 
placed,  and  which  had  reference  to  their  spiritual 
interests. 

2.  This  kingdom  of  nature,  providence,  and 
grace,  is  supported  by  the  fullness  of  almighty 
power  which  distinguishes  the  Supreme  Being. 
By  that  power  every  creature  was  formed,  and  to 
its  sway  is  the  universe  subjected — and  this  do- 
minion is  founded  in  justice  and  characterized  by 
equity,  for  God  is  distinguished  by  the  glory  of 
infinite  perfection.  He  is  infinitely  good — he  is 
most  holy — perfect  wisdom  is  his.  Were  he  not 
therefore  our  Maker  and  Benefactor  demanding  the 
homage  of  gratitude,  his  perfect  righteousness  would 
require  our  adoration  and  love.  If  such  be  the 


142  FOR  THINE  IS  THE  KINGDOM.          SER.   13. 

character  of  God,  then  should  he  be  the  object  of 
our  fear,  and  we  should  desire  that  his  name  might 
be  "  hallowed  by  us."  Religious  reverence  becomes 
us  whenever  we  present  ourselves  before  the  throne 
of  the  Most  Holy — neither  is  it  allowable  in  us  at 
any  time  to  cherish  any  other  feeling,  for  God  is 
ever  with  us,  and  he  is  ever  equally  glorious  and 
venerable.  Moreover,  if  these  be  the  attributes  of 
the  Almighty,  we  should  expect  and  pray  for  the 
manifestation  of  his  kingdom,  and  long  to  have  our 
hearts  subjected  to  his  influence.  All  things  are 
within  the  compass  of  the  divine  power,  and  when 
it  shall  please  him  to  exercise  it,  the  souls  of  all 
creatures  shall  T)e  filled  with  holy  affections  ;  their 
lives  shall  be  examples  of  righteousness,  peace  and 
happiness  shall  prevail  on  earth,  and  a  foretaste  of 
heaven  be  given  to  us  here  below.  And  seeing  that 
all  this  is  not  only  very  desirable,  but  to  the  Al- 
mighty quite  practicable,  we  should  unceasingly 
pray — "  Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done." 

3.  Again,  since  to  God  belongs  the  kingdom,  and 
the  power,  we  should  seek  from  him  every  temporal 
as  well  as  spiritual  gift,  and  we  may  do  this  with  full 
reliance.  The  almighty  Being  who  formed  us,  is 
alone  able  to  preserve  us,  for  we  are  feeble,  per- 
ishing creatures,  liable  to  be  destroyed  every 
moment  by  numberless  evils.  The  operation  of 
these  can  be  resisted  only  by  Him  who  possesses 
the  kingdom  of  providence — upon  him  should  we 


SER.  13.  FOR  THINE  IS  THE  KINGDOM.  143 

feel   dependent,  and  to  him  should  we  address  our 
supplications. 

4.  But  the  sentiment  contained  in  the  doxology 
also  shows  in  a  striking  manner    the    necessity  of 
praying  for  the    forgiveness  of  our   sins — and  the 
propriety  of  forgiving  others,  as  \ve  ourselves  desire 
to    obtain    forgiveness.     When    we    consider    the 
glorious  perfections  of  God,  we  must  be  struck  with 
awe — we  must  be  deeply  sensible  of  the  propriety  of 
our  rendering  to  him  entire  obedience — we  must  be 
convinced  of  our  frequent  failure  in  rendering  it — 
we    must    perceive    how    impure,    disobedient  and 
ungrateful  we  must  appear  in   his  sight.     And  then, 
when  we  think  of  his  awful  justice,  and  the  power 
which  is  prepared  to  enforce  its  decisions,  can  we 
avoid  experiencing  a  sense  of  our  danger? — will  not 
the  conviction  arise  in  our  minds,  forgiveness  must 
be  obtained,  or  I  am  lost ! 

5.  Yet   again,    since    all    things    are   under   the 
control  of  Him  whom   we   worship,  we  may   with 
confidence  pray  that  "we  may  not  be  led  into  temp- 
tation, but  delivered  from  evil."     Nothing  can  take 
place  in  the   world   without  the  permission  of  its 
divine  Governor.     The  events  which  exert  an  in- 
fluence upon  our  spiritual  or  temporal  welfare,  are 
all  within  his  control.     Our  career  in  life  will  be 
that  which  he  allows  it  to  be. 

This  rapid  review  of  the  petitions  contained  in 
the  Lord's  prayer,  has  been  taken  for  the  purpose  of 


144  FOR  THINE  IS  THE  KINGDOM.  SER.  13. 

showing  how  completely  the  concluding  ascription 
of  praise  furnishes  a  reason  for  presenting  each  one 
of  them.  Every  particular  which  has  been  referred 
to,  may,  and  ought  to  become  the  subject  of  our 
addresses  to  God,  for,  or  because  his  is  the  dominion, 
and  power,  and  glory,  for  ever. 

The  concluding  expression  indicates  that  these 
divine  attributes,  which  render  the  Almighty  the 
proper  object  of  hope  and  reliance,  will  always  exist. 
There  never  can  a  period  arrive  when  He  will  not 
be  supremely  adorable — when  our  being  and  happi- 
ness will  not  alike  depend  upon  his  will. 


. 
low,  in  a 


I  have  now,  iiPfi  series  of  brief  lectures,  presented 
the  most  important  thoughts  which  arise  from  the 
consideration  of  trie  several  parts  of  the  prayer 
which  our  Saviour  taught  to  his  disciples.  With  a 
few  reflections  I  shall  now  dismiss  it  from  our  view. 

1.  I  would  then  note  the  excellence  of  this 
prayer.  From  Him  who  spake  as  never  man  spake, 
and  who  is  the  great  medium  through  which  our 
worship  is  to  be  offered,  this  excellence  was  to  be 
expected.  Nor  are  our  expectations  disappointed. 
The  language  and  spirit  which  distinguish  it  are  such 
as  become  creatures  such  as  we  are,  addressing  the 
awful,  yet  merciful  God — and  no  blessing  which  we 
need  is  unsolicited. 

And  in  reference  to  this  1  would  in  the  second 
place  note  the  comprehensiveness  of  this  prayer. 


SER.  13.  FOR  THINE  IS  THE  KINGDOM.  145 

The  pardon  of  our  sins,  the  subjection  of  our  souls 
to  the  influence  of  grace — a  sufficiency  of  the 
temporal  blessings  in  the  gift  of  Providence — a 
preservation  from  evil — what  more  do  we  want  ? 
Is  there  any  thing  which  it  is  proper  to  ask  which 
is  not  comprehended  in  one  of  these  particulars  ? 
There  is  nothing. 

The  last  reflection  which  I  shall  make  refers  to 
the  brevity  of  this  form  of  devotion.  Our  Saviour 
did  not  design  to  restrict  us  to  this  particular  form, 
neither  has  he  forbidden  us  to  dilate  upon  its  several 
parts.  Yet  from  this  formula,  from  his  express 
declaration,  and  from  the  reason  of  the  case,  we 
learn  that  our  prayers  are  not  to  b(r  protracted 
to  tediousness.  We  know  that  the  disciples  were 
cautioned  against  imitating  the  Pharisees  in  the  use 
of  long  prayers,  and  the  heathen  in  the  use  of  vain 
repetition.  And,  as  we  have  just  remarked,  the 
reason  of  the  thing  will  lead  us  to  the  same  con- 
clusion. In  the  first  place,  the  practice  of  extending 
our  petitions  to  a  great  length,  seems  inconsistent 
with  the  obvious  fact,  that  our  heavenly  Father 
knows  what  we  want  before  we  ask  him.  In  the 
next  place,  this  practice  often  leads  to  the  endless 
repetition  of  the  same  ideas,  with  perhaps  some 
slight  variation  in  the  language.  In  the  last  place, 
it  renders  our  devotions  not  so  profitable  as  they 
would  otherwise  be.  The  attention  should  be  lively 
and  the  feelings  animated,  when  we  worship  God  ; 
19 

i 


146  FOR  THINE  IS  THE  KINGDOM.          SER.  13. 

but  this  state  of  things  cannot  exist  when,  by -the 
tediousness  of  him  who  leads  in  prayer,  weariness 
is  induced  in  the  auditors. 

Let  us,  then,  my  brethren,  endeavor  to  cherish 
the  spirit  of  prayer.  When  we  come  before  the 
mercy  seat,  let  our  words  be  few,  well  ordered,  and 
expressing  the  language  of  our  hearts ;  and  let  our 
addresses  to  the  Author  of  grace  be  frequent  in  the 
sanctuaries  where  he  is  publicly  worshipped,  in  the 
circle  of  our  family,  and  in  the  retirement  of  our 
closets  and  our  bosoms. 


147 


SERMON    XIV. 


FAITH  WHICH  WORKETH  BY  LOVE. 


GALATIANS  V. 


For  in  Jesus  Christ  neither  circumcision  ctvaileth  any  thing, 
nor  uncircumcision  ;  but  faith  wlmch  worK&thJby  love. 

AMONG  the  early  converts  from  Judaism  to  Chris- 
tianity, there  prevailed  much  misapprehension  con- 
cerning the  degree  of  regard  due  to  their  ancient 
institutions.  The  gospel  indeed  was  fully  adequate 
to  correct  those  misapprehensions,  and  gave  suffi- 
cient information  that  the  Jewish  dispensation  with 
all  its  ceremonies  and  institutions  was  superseded 
by  one  of  more  perfect  character  and  extensive 
authority.  Yet  it  was  not  surprising  that  their 
veneration  for  an  ancient  establishment  which  had 
for  many  ages  been  the  pride  and  consolation  of 
their  nation,  and  their  conviction  that  this  establish- 
ment had  rested  on  the  authority  of  Jehovah,  their 


148  FAITH    WHICH  SER.   14. 

God  and  protector,  should  induce  many  to  respect 
its  ordinances,  even  after  they  had  been  instructed 
in  that  revelation  which  the  Almighty  had  given  to 
them  through  his  Son.  Accordingly  we  find  that 
the  rite  of  circumcision  was  still  practiced  by  many 
of  the  primitive  Christians  of  the  race  of  Israel. 
In  itself  this  was  no  serious  evil ;  yet  when  respect 
is  had  to  the  motives  and  views  in  which  this 
practice  originated,  its  impropriety  is  exceedingly 
obvious. 

The  error  to  which  respect  is  now  had,  is  the 
substitute  of  this  observance,  and  others  connected 
with  it,  in  the  room  of  those  merits  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  must  b  <^e  sole  ground  of  our  justification 
before  GocL^This  conduct  is  strongly  reprobated 
by  the  jostle  in*  the  passage  at  present  under 
view.  "  For  I  testify  again,"  he  declares,  "  to 
every  jto^hat  is  circumcised,  that  he  is  a  debtor 
to  do  Tqj^vhole  law.  Christ  is  become  of  no 
effect  unto  you,  whosoever  of  you  are  justified  by 
the  law  ;  ye  are  fallen  from  grace.  For  we  through 
the  Spirit  wait  for  the  hope  of  righteousness  by 
faith."  Then  comes  the  text.  "  For  in  Jesus  .% 
Christ  neither  circumcision  availeth  any  thing,  nor 
imcircumcision  ;  but  faith  which  worketh  by  love  ;" 
i.  e.  under  the  dispensation  established  by  Jesus 
Christ,  neither  circumcision  nor  uncircumcision,  nor 
any  similar  observances,  are  of  any  avail  in  the 
matter  of  our  salvation.  Faith  working  by  love 


, 


SER.   14.  WORKETH    BY    LOVE.  149 

is  the  essence  of  true  religion  and  the  only  sure 
and  rational  ground  of  hope. 

This  passage  has  been  selected  as  the  subject  of 
remark  on  the  present  occasion,  because  in  it  is 
solved  one  of  the  most  interesting  questions  which 
can  engage  the  attention  of  reasonable  and  account- 
able beings.  What  is  true  religion  ?  that  which 
comprises  our  duties  to  God  and  to  our  fellow 
creatures,  and  which  is  the  only  preparation  for 
everlasting  happiness  ?  This  is  the  inquiry  alluded 
to.  It  is  believed  that  every  man  who  thinks  at 
all  has  formed  some  scheme  of  belief  on  this  sub- 
ject. But  as  such  systems  are  often  formed  without 
recourse  being  had  to  the  only  source  of  accurate 
information,  they  are  generally  not  more  false  in 
themselves  than  discordant  with  each  other.  Yet, 
according  to  the  views  which  meayMlflfettively 
cherish,  will  be  the  conduct  whicM  Kidopt. 
Each  one  finds  something  in  his  conldij^Dii  and 
character  which  satisfies  his  mind  and  turnishes 
him  with  grounds  of  hope.  It  may  be  useful  to 
note  some  of  the  modifications  under  which  the 
general  error  in  question  appears.  It  would  be 
difficult,  perhaps  impossible,  to  enumerate  them  all. 
The  most  prominent  only  will  receive  our  attention. 
Among  those,  then,  who  fail  in  attaining  correct 
views  in  religion,  there  are  some  who  are  latitudi- 
narian  in  principle  and  lax  in  their  views  of  mo- 
rality. The  confidence  cherished  by  such  persons 


150  FAITH    WHICH  SER.   14. 

does  not  arise  from  the  extent  of  their  own  per- 
formances, but  from  the  easy  terms  upon  which 
they  imagine  security  can  be  attained.  They  do 
not  endeavor  to  elevate  their  character  to  a  con- 
formity with  the  law  established  by  a  just  and  holy 
God  ;  but  they  lower  the  requisitions  of  that  law  so 
as  to  suit  their  own  desires.  If  accountability  be 
at  all  acknowledged,  it  is  admitted  with  many 
restrictions,  and  is  regulated  by  principles  of  the 
utmost  leniency.  Want  of  thought,  force  of  natural 
passion,  and  the  pressure  of  temptation,  furnish  in 
their  view  many  palliatives  of  crime,  and  #s  for  the 
rest,  it  is  supposed  that  the  mercy  of  God  is  of  so 
universal  application,  that  little  apprehension  need 
be  cherished  concerning  any  retribution  for  transgres- 
sion. It  is  obvious  that,  according  to  this  system, 
virtue  and  piety  are  things  of  little  importance,  and 
that  there  are  few  inducements  to  cultivate  them, 
when,  bjPiheir  neglect,  much  present  gratification 
may  be  secured.  This  scheme  is,  however,  most 
evidently  dictated  by  the  inclination  and  not  by 
the  judgment  and  conscience  of  men.  To  these  it 
is  as  much  opposed  as  it  is  irreconcilable  with  the 
principles  of  revealed  religion.  And  yet  there  are 
many  who  embrace  it  as  correct,  and  who,  if  it  be 
not  so,  are  in  a  state  of  awful  danger.  Among  the 
multitude  of  those  whom  we  observe  to  be  immoral 
and  irreligious,  although  there  are  many  conscious 
of  their  errors  and  designing  at  a  future  day  to 


SER.   14.  WORKETH    BY    LOVE.  151 

correct  them ;  there  are  not  a  few  who  persuade 
themselves  that  the  irregularities  of  their  conduct 
are  exceedingly  venial,  and  as  such  have  no  alarm- 
ing consequences  attached  to  them.  Yet,  when  the 
hour  of  judgment  shall  come,  they  shall  perceive 
with  deep  but  unavailing  sorrow,  that  they  have 
erected  the  structure  of  their  belief  and  hopes  upon 
a  foundation  of  sand,  and  that  a  sudden  and  fearful 
desolation  has  taken  place.  Such  is  one  of  the 
errors  into  which  men  fall  with  respect  to  the 
obligation  and  nature  of  religious  duty. 

II.  There  is  another  less  obviously  false,  and 
therefore  more  widely  disseminaj^d,  and  corrected 
with  greater  difficulty,  which  we  may  now  consider. 
Respect  is  had  to  the  expectation  which  many  enter- 
tain of  procuring  the  Almighty's  approbation  and 
favor  by  the  possession  of  such  a  morality*as  we 
commonly  observe  in  the  world ;  a  iffiorality  not 
founded  in  religious  principle,  comprehending  only 
our  social  duties  and  exclusive  of  any  proper  regard 
to  the  Supreme  Being.  Of  all  the  methods  in 
which  men  deviate  from  the  only  path  leading  to 
happiness,  this  is  decidedly  the  most  common  and 
specious,  and  therefore  the  most  dangerous.  It  is 
thought  strange  that  he  who  is  temperate  in  his 
habits,  just  in  his  intercourse  with  mankind,  and  of 
kind  disposition  and  beneficent  conduct,  should  not 
possess  the  approbation  of  his  Creator  and  receive 
the  recompense  awarded  to  the  pious.  Now  we 


152  FAITH    WHICH  SER.   14. 

are  far  from  undervaluing  these  qualities  ;    we  love 
and  respect  him   in   whom    they  appear,    and    we 
know  that  they  are  indispensable  elements  of  true 
religion.    Yet  they  do  not,  of  themselves,  constitute 
it.     They  are  not  sufficient  to  obtain   for  us  the 
divine  approbation.     They  are  not  available  for  our 
final  salvation.     And  why  not  ?     In  the  first  place, 
they  are  only  a  part,  not  the  whole,  of  our  duty. 
They  have  respect  only  to  one  of  the  two  important 
relations  which  we  occupy.     They  constitute  the 
sum  of  our  obligations  toward  our  fellow  creatures ; 
but  do  not  at  all  fulfil  those  which  we  owe  to  our 
Creator.     And  can  he  who  attends  to  one,  and  that 
an  inferior  branch  of  duty,  be  considered  as  absolved 
from   any   farther   claims   on  his  services  ?     Is  he 
excusable  in  the  breach  of  those  higher  obligations 
upon  which  all  inferior  ones  depend  ?     Because  I 
impose  a/due  restraint  upon  my  appetites  and  pas- 
sions ;    Wrcause  I  wrong  no  man,  and  do  all  in  my 
power  to  render  my  fellow  creatures  happy,  am  I, 
therefore,    guiltless   when    I    forget    my    Creator, 
experience  no  gratitude  for  his  mercies,  nor  love  to 
his  person,  and  pay  no  respect  to  his  solemn  injunc- 
tions ?     Assuredly  not. 

But  is  this  one  branch  of  duties  perfectly  fulfilled 
by  those  who  rest  their  hope  of  salvation  upon  their 
moral  excellence  ?  We  are  persuaded  that  it  is  not ; 
and  this  is  admitted  by  many  of  the  individuals  in 
question.  Their  goodness  is,  indeed,  merely  rela- 


SER.   14.  WORKETH    BY    LOVE.  153 

live.  When  compared  with  that  of  multitudes  of 
mankind,  it  may  appear  very  considerable  ;  yet, 
when  reference  is  had  to  a  perfect  model,  it  is 
lamentably  deficient.  But,  as  has  already  been 
observed,  this  deficiency  is  admitted  on  the  behalf 
of  many,  and  it  is  supposed  that  God,  in  his  good- 
ness, will  pardon  their  imperfections  in  considera- 
tion of  their  general  rectitude  of  conduct.  It  is 
true,  that  no  man,  in  the  present  condition  of  human 
nature,  can  claim  the  divine  approbation  on  the 
ground  of  perfect  obedience,  and  that  salvation  can 
only  be  the  inheritance  of  any,  through  the  exercise 
of  the  Almighty's  mercy.  Yet,  if  we  rely  upon  his 
mercy,  we  should  only  expect  it  through  that  me- 
dium which  he  may  have  prescribed.  There  are 
no  promises  to  those  who  rely  upon  an  imperfect 
morality.  And  mercy  and  grace  are  oaj^e^ended 
to  those  who  exercise  repentance  toward  God  and 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Thus  there  are  some  who  substitute  in  the  room 
of  religion,  that  morality  which  is  but  a  part  of  it. 
But  there  are  others  who  fall  into  an  opposite  error, 
and  form  to  themselves  a  system  of  religion  of 
which  morality  constitutes  no  element.  If  the 
former  mistake  be  a  fatal  one  in  reference  to  the 
happiness  of  a  future  state,  the  latter  is  equally  so, 
and  is  moreover  of  actual  detriment  to  the  interests 
of  society.  The  moral  man,  however  he  may  fall 
20 


154  FAITH  WHICH  SER.   14. 

/  .^L  •  -.    ,  « 

short  of  salvation,  may  be  useful  and  estimable. 
The  latter  can  neither  be  the  one  nor  the  other. 

Under  this  general  denomination,  however,  are 
comprised  many  varieties  of  character  in  other 
respects  widely  different  from  each  other.  There 
is  the  man  who  rests  in  the  forms  of  religion. 
There  is  the  one,  who,  mistaking  the  true  nature  of 
faith,  and  imagining  it  to  be  something  of  a  merely 
speculative  character,  perverts  the  gospel,  and  de- 
rives from  it  encouragement  to  neglect  the  practice 
of  righteousness.  And  in  the  last  place,  there  are 
those  in  whose  estimation  piety  consists  in  highly 
raised  feelings,  and  strong  confidence  in  the  divine 
favor,  but  who,  in  the  every  day  transactions  of  life, 
do  not  sustain  a  character  consistent  with  their  high 
professions. 

All  thes&  forms  of  error  have  insinuated  them- 
selves inaKie  Christian  community,  and  are  calcu- 
lated to^roduce  a  fearful  amount  of  evil.  Under 
these  circumstances,  and  while  we  are  exposed  to 
so  many  dangers,  it  seems  of  the  highest  importance 
that  we  should  frequently  fix  our  attention  upon 
the  nature  of  true  religion  ;  that  having  our  hearts 
brought  under  the  influence  of  its  principles,  and 
our  lives  conformed  to  its  precepts,  we  may  so  run 
the  career  of  human  life  as  to  attain  the  inheritance 
of  a  happy  immortality.  Having  corrected  some 
common  mistakes  in  reference  to  the  subject  under 
view,  we  may  now  consider  the  apostolical  decla- 


SER.   14.  WORKETH  BY  LOVE.  155 

ration,  "  that  neither  circumcision  availeth  any 
thing,  nor  uncircumcision,  but  faith  that  worketh 
by  love." 

This  statement  of  the  qualities  to  which  the  ap- 
probation of  God  is  extended,  is  brief,  but  exceed- 
ingly comprehensive.  He  whose  mind  is  thoroughly 
impressed  and  influenced  by  divine  truth,  and  in 
whose  heart  dwells  that  love  which  is  a  fulfilling  of 
the  law  ;  will  not  fail  to  possess  great  excellence, 
in  the  view  both  of  God  and  man.  Let  us  more 
particularly  consider  this  description  of  the  pious 
man.  In  the  first  place,  he  possesses  "  faith." 
There  is  much  involved  in  this  statement  ;  but 
nothing  of  that  mysterious  nature  which  some  have 
supposed,  and  which  has  in  the  view  of  many 
thrown  discredit  upon  the  principle  we  have  in 
view.  We  do  not  mean  by  faith,  thcy^disposition 
to  credit  all  the  reveries  of  human  foll^Br  all  the 
inventions  of  human  craftiness  which  distinguished 
the  darker  ages,  and  which  is  yet  observable  in 
some  parts  of  Christendom.  This  implicit  faith,  as 
it  has  been  termed,  was  the  more  meritorious  in 
proportion  as  it  stood  in  opposition  to  all  reasonable 
ground  of  belief.  We  utterly  disclaim  any  respect 
for  such  a  principle.  The  faith  of  the  gospel  is  a 
rational  belief ;  resting  upon  testimony  of  well 
established  authority.  The  communications  which 
it  receives  are  professedly  from  heaven,  and  they 
are  not  admitted  before  they  are  duly  authenticated. 


156  FAITH  WHICH  SER.   14. 

The  term  faith  suggests  to  our  minds  the  idea  of 
trust  or  confidence  ;  and  it  may  be  considered  in 
reference  to  two  distinct  objects.  First,  as  it 
respects  the  principles  of  religious  truth  commu- 
nicated by  revelation  ;  and,  secondly,  as  it  regards 
the  promises  of  mercy  and  grace  contained  in  the 
gospel.  Under  the  influence  of  this  feeling,  the 
mind  readily  assents  to  every  communication  which 
God  has  made  to  us ;  whether  it  respect  his  own 
nature,  the  character  of  his  dispensations,  or  the 
obligations  of  his  creatures.  The  soul  also  earnestly 
embraces  and  fully  reposes  upon  every  expression 
of  God's  kindness  to  sinners — attends  with  joy  to 
the  message  of  peace  brought  by  the  Son — and  is 
prepared  to  receive,  with  lively  gratitude,  the  bles- 
sings which  he  has  procured. 

We  have  said  that  faith  is  a  reasonable  principle, 
and  this  general  illustration  of  its  nature  may  serve 
to  confirm  that  statement.  For  surely,  when  we 
have  satisfactory  evidence  that  God,  the  fountain  of 
truth,  and  the  dispenser  of  all  happiness  has  spoken 
to  us,  we  may  and  ought  to  believe  in  his  declara- 
tions, and  confide  in  his  promises.  This  principle 
moreover  possesses  an  intrinsic  moral  excellence.  It 
is  a  submission  of  the  understanding  to  a  teaching 
to  which  it  ought  to  be  subjected.  It  involves  a 
subordination  of  the  affections,  where  it  is  justly 
required.  But  waiving  this  arid  every  other  con- 
sideration, it  is  enough  that  this  is  the  feeling  upon 


SER.  14.  WORKETH    BY  LOVE.  157 

which  God  has  chosen  to  make  the  communication 
of  his  grace  to  depend.  Without  faith,  it  is  im- 
possible to  please  him  ;  and  he  that  believeth  on 
the  Son,  hath  everlasting  life.  If,  therefore,  we 
hope  for  the  Almighty's  favor — if  we  wish  to  in- 
herit the  blessings  consequent  upon  it — then  must 
we  possess  faith  in  its  purity.  And  if  we  do  not 
experience  faith  in  its  genuine  character,  any 
spurious  resemblance  of  it  will  avail  us  nothing.  It 
is  not  merely  the  profession  of  the  lips,  nor  the 
simple  assent  of  the  understanding  that  will  save 
us  ;  with  these  must  be  conjoined  the  approbation 
of  the  heart.  The  faith  that  justifies  us  never 
exists  alone,  it  is  always  associated  with  the  other 
great  elements  of  true  religion  referred  to  in  the 
text.  It  is  a  faith  which  wrorketh  by  love.  If  then 
the  guilt  in  which  we  have  become  involved  is 
effaced  through  the  instrumentality  o^paith,  the 
production  and  increase  of  love  in  our  souls  is  the 
very  essence  of  our  sanctification.  With  the  ex- 
istence of  this  feeling,  is  inseparably  connected 
every  devotional  exercise,  every  act  of  piety  or 
moral  goodness.  Love  toward  the  Giver  of  our 
lives,  the  Author  of  our  salvation,  and  the  fellow 
creatures  who  participate  with  us  in  the  blessings 
flowing  from  the  one  or  the  other,  appears  to  pro- 
vide effectually  for  the  performance  of  all  our 
duties,  and  to  afford  security  against  every  error  of 
conduct  in  a  moral  view.  To  love  the  Lord  our 


Jr.    % 

158  FAITH.  SER.   14. 

God  with  all  our  heart  and  our  neighbor  as  our- 
selves, is  the  first  and  great  commandment,  com- 
prehending in  itself  all  others. 

Let  me,  then,  exhort  you  to  yield  a  solemn  and 
immediate  attention  to  the  great  duties  enjoined  by 
religion.  You  should  feel  this  to  be  your  highest 
concern.  The  salvation  of  your  souls  is  the  object 
at  which  you  should  aim  with  unremitting  ardor. 
If  you  are  successful,  you  will  be  happy  forever ; 
if  you  fail,  you  perish.  And  in  pursuit  of  this 
object,  be  careful  that  you  do  not  fail  in  attaining 
it  by  the  use  of  improper  or  inadequate  means.  Do 
not  rely  upon  any  of  the  various  erroneous  grounds 
of  confidence  this  day  exposed  to  view — be  solici- 
tous to  possess  that  piety  which  has  its  seat  in  the 
heart,  but  controls  for  good  the  conduct  of  life ; 
knowing  that  neither  circumcision  availeth  any 
thing,  nor  uncircumcision  ;  but  FAITH  WHICH 

WORKETH  BY  LOVE. 


* 

159 


SERMON    XV. 


CHRIST'S  EXPOSITION  OF  THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 


MATTHEW    V.    21,    22. 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time,  <  Thou 
shalt  not  kill?  and,  *  Whosoever  shall  kill,  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment : '  but  I  say  unto  you,  That  who- 
soever is  angry  with  his  brother  without  a  cause,  shall  be 
in  danger  of  the  judgment  :  and  whosoever  shall  say  to 
his  brother,  Raca,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  council :  but 
whosoever  shall  say,  Thou  fool,  shall  be  in  danger  of 
hell-Jire. 

THE  decalogue  has  by  some  been  imagined  to  be 
an  incomplete  rule  of  moral  conduct.  In  strictness 
of  interpretation,  it  may  be  so ;  yet,  in  the  view 
taken  of  it  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  shall  find 
it  to  embrace  a  great  number  of  cases,  to  which  at 
first  sight,  it  might  not  seem  to  apply.  Much  of 
the  discourse  on  the  Mount  was  taken  up  with 


160  CHRIST'S  EXPOSITION  or         SER.  15. 

animadversions  on  the  erroneous  conceptions  with 
respect  to  the  moral  law  then  prevalent,  and  with 
an  exposition  of  its  true  and  full  import.  The 
general  principle  of  explication  adopted  by  our 
divine  Teacher,  is  that  when  a  greater  evil  is  for- 
bidden, all  its  inferior  degrees  are  so  also  by  neces- 
sary implication.  For  instance,  that  under  the 
general  prohibition  to  kill,  was  intended  a  condem- 
nation of  those  feelings  even  in  an  inferior  degree, 
which  in  the  most  violent  form  led  to  this  atrocious 
crime. 

Such  was  not,  however,  the  view  taken  of  this 
precept  by  those  who  had  undertaken  to  expound 
the  law  of  God  to  their  countrymen.  While  they 
were  ready  to  bring  to  judgment  such  as  had  taken 
away  another's  life,  they  were  inclined  to  tolerate 
violent  resentment,  reproachful  language,  and  in- 
jurious conduct,  provided  it  did  not  extend  to  the 
infliction  of  death.  Our  Saviour  has  given  us  a 
more  accurate  understanding  of  the  will  of  God ; 
and  in  the  passage  now  under  view,  there  are  three 
particular  instances  in  which  the  spirit  of  the  sixth 
commandment  is  stated  to  be  violated.  The  first 
is,  '  being  angry  without  cause.'  This  offence  re- 
spects our  fellow  creatures  in  general ;  for  in  the 
morality  of  the  gospel,  they  all  sustain  to  us  the 
relation  of  brethren.  The  inquiry  which  now  pre- 
sents itself,  is  this,  Is  anger  ever  to  be  indulged — 
can  it  in  any  instance  be  viewed  as  innocent  ?  It 


SER.   15.  THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT.  161 

would  seem  from  the  text,  that  these  questions 
must  be  answered  affirmatively.  The  prohibition 
of  causeless  anger  implies  the  allowance  of  that  for 
which  there  exists  reasonable  grounds.  And  else- 
where an  apostle  has  thus  expressed  himself,  "  Be 
ye  angry  arid  sin  not."  Eph.  iv.  26.  It  is,  however, 
of  great  importance  to  understand  this  subject 
aright,  for  every  man  who  is  incensed  against 
another,  fancies  that  he  has  just  reason  for  being 
so ;  and  that  in  fostering  his  feelings  of  animosity 
he  is  not  acting  criminally.  A  few  observations 
will  therefore  be  made  on  this  subject,  although  it 
is  difficult  accurately  to  discriminate  between  what 
is  to  be  allowed,  and  what  is  to  be  condemned. 
Anger,  implying  an  uneasiness  or  discomposure  of 
mind  under  the  reception  of  an  injury,  is  a  principle 
of  our  nature,  which  like  all  others  has  its  appro- 
priate function  ;  and  under  due  restrictions,  while 
it  secures  our  own  rights  from  violation,  it  is  in  no 
wise  detrimental  to  the  general  welfare.  Yet  anger 
should  not  be  causeless  ;  it  should  not  assume  undue 
violence  ;  it  should  not  settle  down  into  violent 
hatred,  or  an  implacable  spirit  of  revenge.  Anger 
should  not  be  without  cause,  and  when  it  has  cause, 
there  should  be  a  just  proportion  between  the 
offence  given,  and  the  displeasure  felt.  This  is 
very  far  from  being  the  case  in  the  intercourse  of 
life.  Imaginary  insults  or  real  injuries  of  a  very 
trivial  kind  lead  to  immoderate  transports  of  passion, 
21 


162  CHRIST'S  EXPOSITION  OF         SER.  15. 

issuing  in  violence  of  speech  and  action.  This, 
undoubtedly  is  highly  criminal.  And  even  an  in- 
ferior degree  of  indignation,  even  if  produced  by 
the  most  sufficient  cause,  is  greatly  to  be  censured, 
provided  it  do  not  pass  away  with  the  occasion 
which  excited  it.  It  is  to  prevent  malice  from 
taking  the  place  of  transient  anger,  that  the  apostle, 
after  the  injunction  to  be  angry  and  sin  not,  requires 
us  not  to  let  the  sun  go  down  upon  our  wrath. 
Such  is  the  first  evil  against  which  we  are  warned, 
and  which  our  Lord  declared  to  his  hearers  would 
render  them  liable  to  the  judgment  of  God,  although 
it  might  not  come  under  the  cognizance  of  any 
human  tribunal. 

The  next  offence  mentioned  in  the  text,  is  the 
use  of  insulting,  contemptuous  language.  Who- 
soever shall  say  to  his  brother,  "  Raca ;  "  the  ex- 
pression indicates  the  greatest  emptiness  and  worth- 
lessriess ;  it  was  a  common  term  of  reproach  among 
the  Jews,  as  we  learn  from  some  collections  taken 
from  the  Rabbinical  writings.  This  offence,  our 
Lord  observes,  would  render  him  who  committed 
it,  liable  to  the  sentence  of  the  sanhedrin,  or  great 
council  of  the  nation,  who  were  competent  to  the 
infliction  of  the  highest  temporal  punishment. 

The  third  instance  in  which  the  spirit  of  God's 
commandment  is  violated,  is  of  a  similar  nature 
with  the  one  just  mentioned.  It  differs  from  it  in 
degree,  but  not  in  kind.  It  is  the  use  of  language 


SER.   15.  THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT.  163 

opprobrious  in  the  extreme.  To  those  who  are  only 
acquainted  with  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the 
term  "  fool,"  it  might  not  seem  to  convey  any  great 
censure.  Yet  occurring  in  scriptural  language,  the 
original  word  denotes  not  imbecility  of  mind,  but 
perversity  of  heart.  In  the  Proverbs  and  in  the 
Psalms,  it  is  frequently  used  in  the  sense  of  "  rebel 
against  God,"  "  apostate  from  all  good."  He, 
therefore,  who  applied  to  another  the  epithet 
"  moreh,"  or  fool ;  who  by  this  term  accused  him 
of  the  highest  offence  against  the  Jewish  law  and 
the  majesty  of  God  ;  and  who  did  this  unjustly, 
should  be  in  danger  of  hell-fire — literally,  shall  be 
liable  to  the  hell  of  fire.  The  word  here  translated 
hell,  is  "  Gehenna."  It  is  derived  from  Ghi  Hin- 
nom,  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom.  It  was  a 
place  near  Jerusalem.  It  had  been  the  scene  of  those 
abominable  sacrifices  in  which  children  had  been 
made  to  pass  through  the  fire  to  Moloch.  From 
this  circumstance,  among  the  Jews  contemporary 
with  our  Saviour,  the  name  of  this  valley  had  been 
used  to  express  hell,  the  place  of  torment,  the  re- 
ceptacle of  lost  souls. 

It  appears,  then,  according  to  our  Lord's  ex- 
position of  the  sixth  commandment,  that  it  refers 
not  only  to  the  highest  injury  done  to  another's 
happiness  ;  but  to  unreasonable  anger,  to  con- 
temptuous language,  to  malignant  reproaches.  He, 
therefore,  who  would  preserve  a  conscience  void  of 


' 


164  CHRIST'S  EXPOSITION  OF         SER.  15. 

offence  toward  his  fellow  creatures,  and  who  would 
avoid  the  just  judgment  of  God,  must  not  fall  into 
these  evils.  Their  criminality  seems  to  rest  on 
two  considerations.  In  the  first  place,  the  feeling 
of  anger  leading  to  reproachful  language  and  in- 
jurious conduct,  is  often  causeless  ;  it  springs  from 
little  or  no  provocation.  Others  become  the  objects 
of  our  hatred,  or  are  much  injured  by  us  when  they 
are  entirely  innocent.  But  in  the  second  place, 
admitting  that  just  cause  of  offence  has  been  given, 
to  us  does  not  belong  the  prerogative  of  judgment : 
Vengeance  is  mine  and  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord. 
Where  we  are  not  called  to  act  judicially,  and 
punish  crimes  committed  against  the  well-being 
of  society ;  where  we  do  not  jeopardize  the  happi- 
ness of  ourselves  or  others,  we  are  to  forgive  those 
who  have  injured  us,  even  as  we  hope  for  pardon 
from  God  W7hom  wre  have  in  numerous  instances 
offended. 

Since,  then,  offences,  comparatively  so  trivial,  do 
not  escape  the  divine  judgment,  with  what  terrible 
indignation  must  He  regard  one  who  raises  his  arm 
to  destroy  another's  life.  When  you  behold  a 
human  being  in  the  last  period  of  life;  when  you 
witness  the  sufferings  and  the  agony  which  issue  in 
death ;  when  you  contemplate  the  ruin  which  re- 
mains after  the  spirit  has  fled  from  its  earthly  hab- 
itation ;  are  not  all  your  sympathies  in  operation  ? 
do  you  not  mourn  over  human  calamity  ?  do  you 


SER.   15.  THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT.  165 

not  bitterly  regret  that  human  power  is  so  inade- 
quate to  its  relief?  And  such  being  the  fact,  does 
it  riot  seem  incredible  that  any  one  possessing  the 
heart  of  a  man,  should  become  the  voluntary  agent 
in  subjecting  his  fellow  to  evils  so  dreadful  ?  He 
who  takes  away  another's  life,  deprives  him  of  the 
highest  good  which  he  possesses — a  good  which  no 
power  on  earth  can  restore.  The  murderer  may, 
moreover,  become  the  instrument  of  still  greater 
evil  to  his  unhappy  victim — by  hurrying  him  to  the 
judgment  seat,  with  all  his  sins  unrepented  for, 
unforgiven.  Dreadful  however  as  it  is,  infliction 
sometimes  becomes  necessary,  and  even  proper. 
When  our  own  life  can  by  no  other  means  be 
preserved,  we  may  lawfully  take  away  that  of  him 
who  assails  us.  The  very  highest  requisition  which 
duty  makes  is,  that  we  love  our  neighbor  as  our- 
selves. It  has  never  been  enjoined  upon  us  to  love 
him  better  than  ourselves.  In  the  subordinate 
concerns  of  life  it  is  indeed  still  our  duty  to  respect 
his  rights,  however  he  may  violate  ours — but, 
should  he  proceed  so  far  as  to  put  our  existence  in 
jeopardy,  all  laws  human  or  divine,  hold  us  guiltless, 
when  our  own  safety  is  secured  by  his  destruction. 

Another  instance  in  which  life  may  be  taken 
away  is  judicially,  as  a  punishment  for  certain 
crimes.  There  is  one  offence  for  which,  beyond  all 
controversy,  this  punishment  may  righteously  be 
inflicted.  For  the  crime  of  murder  it  is  the  just 


166  CHRIST'S  EXPOSITION  OF         SEE.  15. 

retribution.  It  is  the  divine  sentence — "  Whoso 
sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be 
shed."  Reason  approves  this  decision,  and  the 
sentiments  of  our  bosoms  are  in  entire  accordance 
with  it.  Other  offences  there  are  against  the  well- 
being  of  society  and  the  happiness  of  individuals, 
to  which  this  penalty  is  attached.  The  propriety 
of  this  proceeding  is  not  in  any  of  these  instances 
entirely  clear ;  in  some  of  them  it  is  of  an  exceed- 
ingly questionable  character,  arid  it  is  believed  that 
the  natural  feelings  of  most  men  revolt  from  the 
spectacle  of  death  inflicted,  where  there  has  been 
merely  an  infringement  of  the  rights  of  property. 

Excluding,  then,  the  cases  which  have  been  men- 
tioned, it  is  in  all  other  instances  deeply  criminal  to 
take  away  another's  life.  The  degree  of  atrocity 
which  marks  this  offence  will  vary  according  to 
circumstances,  but  it  is  at  all  times  a  crime  of  the 
greatest  magnitude.  When  it  springs  from  the 
immediate  impulse  of  passion,  arising  from  real  or 
imagined  injury,  it  is  not  of  so  high  malignity  as 
when  without  any  previous  offence  taken.  Murder 
is  committed  in  order  to  effect  some  object  which 
can  only  be  attained  by  this  horrible  sacrifice.  In 
the  one  instance,  evil  is  done  when  it  is  repented 
for  in  a  cooler  moment,  and  a  man  acting  while 
blinded  by  passion,  however  criminal,  is  decidedly 
less  so  than  one  who,  in  cool  malignity  or  sordid 
avarice,  commits  a  like  offence. 


SER.   15.          THE    SIXTH    COMMANDMENT.  167 

While  discussing  the  subject  at  present  under 
view,  we  cannot  forbear  all  reference  to  a  glaring 
evil  which  has  for  several  ages  been  the  reproach  of 
Christendom.  Reference  is  had  to  murder,  sanc- 
tioned by  the  opinion  of  the  world,  called  for  by 
the  principles  of  honor.  An  individual  deliberately 
taking  away  another's  life,  shall,  under  ordinary 
circumstances,  be  the  object  of  abhorrence,  and  be 
shunned  as  the  subject  of  the  primal  curse.  Yet  if 
this  crime  be  perpetrated  in  a  certain  way — if  the 
criminal  while  aiming  at  the  destruction  of  his  an- 
tagonist, shall  expose  himself  to  a  like  evil — then, 
is  a  wonderful  change  wrought  in  the  estimate 
which  the  world  takes  of  the  action  in  question. 
We  admit  that  there  is  a  greater  semblance  of  gen- 
erosity in  this  conduct,  than  exists  under  other  cir- 
cumstances, where  the  midnight  assassin  assails  his 
unsuspecting  victim.  Yet  precisely  the  same  injury 
is  wrought  in  both  instances  ;  and  the  motive  in 
which  it  originates  is  also  the  same.  Life  is  de- 
stroyed, and  it  is  destroyed  for  the  gratification  of 
revenge.  The  only  difference  existing  is,  that  in 
the  one  instance  there  is  an  opportunity  afforded  to 
our  antagonist  to  save  himself  by  perpetrating  the 
very  crime  which  is  intended  against  him.  Accord- 
ingly, the  practice  to  which  we  are  referring  is 
severely  reprobated  by  all  sound  morality.  It  is 
alien  from  the  spirit,  condemned  by  the  precepts  of 
Christianity.  As  has  already  been  observed,  its 


168  CHRIST'S  EXPOSITION  OF         SER.  15. 

essential  principle  is  a  spirit  of  revenge.  And 
before  this  practice  can  be  justified,  it  must  be 
shown  that  revenge  of  the  most  unrelenting  char- 
acter— revenge  inflicting  the  most  terrible  evils  on 
account  of  the  most  trivial  offences,  is  allowable. 
The  resentment  of  the  honorable  murderer,  is  piti- 
less. It  makes  no  allowance  for  what  may  have 
been  done  in  a  moment  of  levity,  and  which  may 
have  been  repented  of  the  next  hour,  and  for  which 
apology  would  promptly  be  made,  were  it  not  that 
a  corrupt  public  opinion  condemns  him  who  seems 
desirous  to  adjust,  amicably,  an  existing  difference. 
And  what  an  immense  disproportion  in  most  in- 
stances exists  between  the  injury  inflicted  and  the 
satisfaction  demanded.  An  offence  which  deserves 
not  to  be  recollected  for  an  hour,  shall  become  the 
occasion  of  death  to  one  or  perhaps  two  human 
beings — shall  remove  the  unhappy  subjects  them- 
selves from  all  their  joys,  and  hurry  them  to  an 
awful  retribution — and  shall  inflict  evils  upon  seem- 
ing friends,  for  which  compensation  can  never  be 
given.  Were  it  not  descending  from  the  high 
ground  which  the  Christian  moralist  should  take  on 
this  subject,  we  might  say  much  in  reference  to  the 
absurdity  of  the  practice  which  we  have  been  con- 
demning, and  inquire  how  any  reasonable  man  can, 
for  a  moment,  suppose  that  he  obtains  satisfaction 
for  an  injury,  when  on  the  field  of  blood  he  meets 
his  antagonist  on  terms  of  perfect  equality,  and 


SER.   15.  THE    SIXTH    COMMANDMENT.  169 

when  instead  of  being  revenged  for  the  insults 
already  given,  he  may  receive  in  addition  to  that 
insult,  an  injury  of  a  more  dreadful  and  irretrievable 
nature.  But  where  a  particular  action  is  of  a  char- 
acter so  decidedly  and  awfully  criminal,  it  would  be 
only  weakening  the  force  of  the  argument,  to  advert 
to  any  considerations  of  mere  expediency. 

There  is  one  reflection,  with  which  I  would  dis- 
miss this  branch  of  the  discussion,  which  may  have 
weight  with  those  who,  in  opposition  to  their  better 
feeling  and  principles,  are  induced  to  resort  to  this 
preposterous  mode  of  deciding  differences,  by  a  re- 
gard for  their  worldly  reputation.  The  reflection 
is  this,  that  they  are  about  to  commit  an  offence 
against  God  and  their  fellow  creature,  for  which 
there  may  be  no  opportunity  of  repentance  afforded. 
In  the  very  act  of  destroying  the  life  of  another, 
they  may  lose  their  own,  and  thus  be  brought  before 
the  judgment  seat  of  God  with  the  guilt  of  blood 
upon  their  souls  ;  with  no  interval  of  time  in  which 
the  soul  may  be  fitted  for  her  passage  to  eternity. 
And  if  such  a  consideration  do  not  induce  them  to 
pause  ere  they  incur  such  a  calamity,  it  is  difficult 
to  imagine  a  motive  which  could  influence  them. 

1  would  now  in  conclusion,  and  in  reverting  to 

the  general  subject  of  this  discourse,  observe,  that 

the   evangelical  spirit  and  morality  are  opposed  to 

all    violence   and   contention,  inspiring   peace  and 

22 


170  THE    SIXTH    COMMANDMENT.  SER.   15. 

gentleness  and  forgiveness.  They,  therefore,  con- 
sist as  illy  with  the  pride,  as  with  the  spirit  of 
revenge,  wrhich  distinguish  corrupted  human  nature; 
and  the  man  of  the  world  contemns  the  precepts  of 
the  gospel  as  productive  of  an  abjectness  of  spirit 
degrading  to  human  nature.  This  is  not  the  case  ; 
these  precepts  enjoin  forbearance  and  non-resist- 
ance to  injuries.  They  do  not  produce  their  effects 
by  infusing  a  contemptible  pusillanimity,  but  by 
bringing  the  conduct  under  the  control  of  a  sense  of 
duty  to  God  and  a  feeling  of  benevolence  to  man  ; 
and  when  the  Christian's  conduct  is  supported  by 
these  principles,  it  is  consistent  with  the  greatest 
fortitude  and  evinces  the  truest  magnanimity. 

Let  us,  then,  Christian  brethren,  who  hope  for 
redemption  through  Jesus,  and  who  have  called 
ourselves  by  His  name,  endeavor  to  possess  His 
spirit  and  obey  His  precepts — and  while  all  outra- 
geous conduct  is  avoided,  let  us  also  be  blameless 
in  speech  and  disposition.  Let  all  bitterness,  and 
wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor,  and  evil  speaking, 
be  put  away  from  you  with  all  malice,  and  be  ye 
kind  toward  one  another,  tender  hearted,  forgiving 
one  another,  even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake  has 
forgiven  you. 


171 


SERMON  XVI. 


GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY  OF  THE  OLD 
TESTAMENT. 


LUKE  xxiv.  44. 

And  he  said  unto  them,  These  are  the  words  which  I  spake 
unto  you  while  I  was  yet  with  you,  that  all  things  must 
be  fulfilled,  which  were  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  and  in 
the  prophets,  and  in  the  psalms,  concerning  me. 

IT  was  remarked  by  a  distinguished  writer*  of 
the  last  age,  "  that  a  notion  had  very  much  spread 
of  late,  even  among  many  who  would  be  called 
Christians,  that  the  truth  of  Christianity  was  inde- 
pendent of  the  Jewish  dispensation."  It  is  believed 
that  this  sentiment  is  not  a  very  uncommon  one  at 
the  present  time ;  and  the  consequence  of  its 
prevalence  is,  a  neglect  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
Testament,  and  an  inattention  to  the  evidence  by 

*  Bishop  Warburton,  Divine  Legation. 


172  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY     SER.   16. 

which  their  authority  is  supported.  The  idea  which 
has  thus  been  entertained  is  exceedingly  erroneous. 
The  former  and  latter  part  of  what  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  receive  as  the  canon  of  Scripture,  are  most 
intimately  connected.  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles 
refer  in  such  terms  to  the  writings  accounted  sacred 
among  the  Jews,  that  the  fact  of  their  spuriousness 
and  want  of  authenticity  would  carry  with  it  inevi- 
table destruction  to  the  claim  to  inspiration  advanced 
by  those  by  whom  they  were  quoted.  And  as  it 
has  been  very  much  the  practice  in  modern  times  to 
wound  Christianity  through  the  sides  of  Judaism, 
we  should  be  cautious  how  we  leave  the  latter 
undefended,  considering  its  intimate  connection  with 
the  former. 

It  is  believed  that  the  authority  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament can  be  very  amply  supported,  and  that  so  far 
from  presenting  an  obstacle  to  the  reception  of  the 
religion  of  Christ,  it  yields  to  it  as  well  as  receives 
from  it,  additional  confirmation. 

The  investigation  and  establishment  of  this  truth 
is  the  object  at  present  had  in  view.  And,  in  the 
course  of  our  discussion,  the  claims  to  our  regard 
made  by  the  ancient  Scriptures,  will  be  supported 
on  the  following  grounds  : — 

I.  The  Old  Testament  is  the  most  ancient  history 
extant,  and  possesses  the  most  undoubted  marks  of 
authenticity. 

II.  It  contains  representations  of  Deity  and  exhi- 


SER.    16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  173 

bitions  of  human  duty,   far  transcending   the  sub- 
limest  speculations  of  heathen  philosophy. 

III.  Its  claims  to  inspiration  are  justified  by  the 
accurate  prediction  of  future  events. 

IV.  It  is  supported  by    the    testimony   of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thus  appropriates  to  itself  all  the  peculiar 
evidence  of  Christianity. 

I.  Our  first  proposition  involves  the  fact  of  the 
genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  books  of  the 
Old  Testament. 

By  the  genuineness  of  any  production,  we  under- 
stand that  it  was  written  by  the  person  whose  name 
it  bears,  and  at  the  time  when  it  is  represented  to 
have  been  composed.  By  its  authenticity  we  un- 
derstand, its  possession  of  those  characters  of  truth 
which  entitle  it  to  our  belief.  The  pentateuch,  for 
instance,  is  genuine  if  it  be  the  production  of  Moses ; 
it  is  authentic  if  the  narrative  which  it  contains  be 
true. 

Our  inquiry  first  concerns  the  genuineness  of  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament.  In  what  age  and 
by  what  author  any  book  was  written,  are  facts 
which  can  only  be  determined  by  historical  evidence. 
This  evidence  may  be — 1st,  The  testimony  of  those 
who  possess  the  means  of  information,  and  who 
have  no  inducement  to  deceive  us.  2d,  Certain 
marks  in  the  work  itself  as  respects  language,  style 
and  sentiment,  which  indicate  at  what  period  and 
by  whom  it  was  written. 


174  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY       SER.    16. 

1st.  The  evidence  of  the  former  class  possessed 
by  the  works  in  question,  is  most  ample.  They 
have  been  handed  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion as  the  productions  of  those  whose  names  they 
bear.  Those  who  wrere  coeval  with  the  authors, 
and  transcribed  any  of  these  books,  together  with 
those  who  in  successive  ages  transcribed  them,  form 
a  series  of  witnesses  to  their  genuineness.  This  is 
a  proof  which  we  never  hesitate  to  admit  in  regard 
to  the  profane  writers  of  antiquity — and  in  respect 
to  the  Jewish  writings  it  is  still  more  satisfactory ; 
for  there  was  an  express  and  remarkable  provision 
made,  to  preserve  among  them  the  traditional 
knowledge  of  all  that  was  memorable  in  their 
history.  We  perceive  evidence  of  this  in  the  last 
address  of  Moses  to  the  Israelites — Deut.  xxxii.  7. 
"  Remember  the  days  of  old,  consider  the  years  of 
many  generations  :  ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  show 
thee ;  thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee."  In  the 
78th  Psalm,  also,  there  occurs  this  passage—"  I  will 
utter  dark  sayings  of  old,  which  we  have  heard 
and  known,  and  our  fathers  have  told  us  ;  we 
will  not  hide  them  from  their  children,  showing  to 
the  generation  to  come  the  praises  of  the  Lord." 
But,  as  another  reason  why  the  true  knowledge  of 
the  origin  of  these  books  could  not  have  been  lost, 
we  may  assign  the  fact  that  a  particular  tribe  among 
the  Jews  was  set  apart  for  certain  express  purposes, 
one  of  which  was  the  watching  over  their  historical 
documents. 


SER.   16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  175 

Observe  moreover,  that  the  Old  Testament  is  not 
the  production  of  a  single  author,  nor  belonging  to 
any  one  age.  Between  the  time  of  Moses,  who  was 
the  first  of  the  sacred  writers,  until  the  close  of  the 
canon,  an  interval  of  eleven  hundred  years  elapsed. 
During  this  period  we  find  in  the  later  writers 
repeated  references  to  those  who  had  gone  before 
them  ;  and  this  reference  is  an  express  testimony  to 
the  genuineness  of  the  productions  quoted.  Having 
ascertained  the  fact  that  the  Jews  have  always 
received  their  sacred  books  as  genuine,  and  that  they 
could  not  have  been  mistaken  in  their  apprehensions, 
we  may  inquire  whether  they  had  any  inducement 
to  deliver  a  false  testimony  on  this  subject.  Every 
candid  man,  sufficiently  informed,  must  be  sensible 
that  they  had  no  such  inducement.  It  should  be 
kept  in  mind  that  our  present  concern  is  not  with 
the  truth  of  the  Jewish  historical  records,  but  with 
the  simple  fact  of  their  having  been  written  by 
certain  individuals  at  a  particular  time — and  what 
motive  could  the  whole  Jewish  nation  have  had  to 
concur  in  a  misrepresentation  of  this  matter?  There 
is  no  conceivable  one.  On  the  contrary,  there  are 
strong  reasons  why  they  should  have  exposed  such 
a  forgery,  had  it  ever  taken  place.  The  represen- 
tation given  of  the  conduct  of  their  forefathers  is 
any  other  than  a  favorable  one.  The  faults  of 
individuals  dear  to  their  recollection  are  freely  ex- 
posed. The  religious  institutions  of  a  ceremonial 


176  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY       SER.   16. 

nature  were  most  burthensome;  and  surely,  they 
would  not  too  readily  acquiesce  in  the  claims  of  an 
author  who  made  such  statements,  and  enjoined 
such  observances. 

But,  we  may  pursue  our  investigation  into  the 
historical  evidence  of  the  genuineness  of  the  Old 
Testament,  in  a  manner  more  particular.  We  may 
commence  our  inquiries  at  a  certain  period,  and 
ascend  into  a  remoter  antiquity.  It  may  then  be 
remarked,  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament 
as  we  now  have  them,  were  in  existence  about  the 
commencement  of  the  Christian  era.  In  regard  to 
this  fact,  which  is  susceptible  of  proof  from  various 
sources,  I  shall  merely  cite  the  testimony  of  Jose- 
phus  in  his  treatise  against  Apion.  "  We  have  not 
thousands  of  books  discordant  and  contradicting 
each  other :  but  we  have  only  twenty-two  which 
comprehend  the  history  of  all  former  ages,  and  are 
justly  regarded  as  divine.  Five  of  them  proceed 
from  Moses — they  include  as  well  the  laws  as  an 
account  of  the  creation  of  man,  extending  to  his,  i.  e. 
Moses'  death.  This  period  comprehends  near  three 
thousand  years.  From  the  death  of  Moses  to  that 
of  Artaxerxes,  who  was  king  of  Persia  after  Xerxes, 
the  prophets  who  succeeded  Moses  committed  to 
writing  in  thirteen  books,  what  was  done  in  their 
days.  The  remaining  four  books  contain  hymns  to 
God,  and  instructions  of  life  for  man." 

Extending  our  researches  farther  into  antiquity, 


SER.    16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  177 

at  the  distance  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  years 
before  the  Christian  era,  we  meet  with  the  Septua- 
gint  version  of  the  whole  Scriptures,  which  was 
made  for  the  use  of  the  Alexandrian  Jews.  This 
affords  incontrovertible  evidence  that  the  Old  Tes- 
tament in  its  present  form,  existed  at  that  period, 
and  was  received  as  genuine  by  those  who  had 
sufficient  means  of  information  on  the  subject.  In 
regard  to  the  pentateuch,  the  direct  and  conclusive 
evidence  which  we  have,  refers  to  a  still  greater 
antiquity.  There  are  now  extant,  as  there  have 
been  for  near  3000  years,  two  distinct  copies  of  the 
five  books  of  Moses — the  one  in  the  ancient  Hebrew 
character,  which  is  called  the  Samaritan  pentateuch  ; 
the  other  in  the  modern  Hebrew  character,  which 
has  been  preserved  by  the  Jews,  and  since  the 
Christian  era  by  Christians  also.  These  copies 
have  been  preserved  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render 
perfectly  incredible  the  idea  that  the  one  should 
have  been  derived  from  the  other,  for  a  period  at  the 
least  extending  near  a  thousand  years  anterior  to  the 
Christian  era.  And  we  are  thus  led  to  the  con- 
clusion that  an  original  existed  prior  to  that  time, 
from  which  both  were  derived.  Let  us  consider 
the  circumstances  of  the  case.  The  Samaritans 
were  a  mixed  race  of  people,  consisting  partly  of  a 
remnant  of  the  ten  tribes  which  were  carried  into 
captivity  by  the  king  of  Assyria,  but  principally  of 
23 


178  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY     SER.   16. 

nations  which  had  succeeded  them  in  the  occupation 
of  their  country. 

Subsequently  to  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  their 
captivity  in  Babylon,  which  took  place  B.  C.  500 
years,  there  existed  between  them  and  the  Samari- 
tans the  most  extreme  hatred,  which  was  productive 
of  continual  exchange  of  ill  offices  ;  and  this  state  of 
things  continued  until  the  coming  of  Christ.  Now 
it  is  not  to  be  believed  that  either  of  these  nations 
would  receive  upon  the  authority  of  the  other  a  book 
accounted  sacred.  Yet  it  is  an  indisputable  fact,  that 
by  both  has  the  pentateuch  been  preserved.  The 
conclusion  then  is  inevitable,  that  the  production  in 
question  existed  and  was  in  high  estimation  prior  to 
the  period  of  which  we  have  spoken. 

But,  before  this  time  a  division  had  taken  place 
between  the  tribes  inhabiting  Canaan.  After  the 
death  of  Solomon,  the  ten  tribes  revolted  from  his 
son  and  successor — and  from  that  time  frequent 
wars  existed  between  Judah  and  Israel,  and  there 
was  a  very  considerable  diversity  in  their  worship. 
Unless,  therefore,  the  books  of  Moses  had  existed 
antecedently  to  their  separation,  we  cannot  imagine 
how7  they  could  have  been  held  in  equal  estimation 
by  both  parties.  It  does  appear  then  that  we  have 
most  satisfactory  evidence  of  the  existence  of  the 
first  five  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  so  early  as  the 
reign  of  Solomon,  B.  C.  1000.  The  objection 
however  is  still  made,  that  the  pentateuch  might 


SER.    16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  179 

have  existed  at  that  time,  and  yet  not  have  been  the 
production  of  Moses,  but  have  been  composed  by 
some  individual  between  the  time  of  Joshua  and 
the  first  kings.  With  regard  to  this  statement,  I 
would  first  observe  that  it  is  perfectly  gratuitous — 
there  exists  for  it  no  shadow  of  proof,  and  it  should 
not  be  allowed  to  have  the  smallest  weight  when 
opposed  by  direct  testimony.  Now  we  have  the 
explicit  and  uninterrupted  testimony  of  the  Jews  in 
support  of  the  genuineness  of  their  books ;  and  shall 
we  not  acquiesce  in  that  testimony  ?  We  yield 
unhesitating  credence  to  other  nations  when  they 
testify  concerning  the  founders  of  their  religious  or 
civil  polity.  We  believe  that  Solon  was  the  law- 
giver of  the  Athenians,  and  that  the  institutions  of 
Sparta  were  derived  from  Lycurgus.  Why  then 
should  not  the  Jews  be  credited,  when  they  state 
that  their  laws  and  the  ceremonies  of  their  religion 
were  promulgated  by  Moses.  There  does  not  ap- 
pear any  reason  why  they  should  not. 

Moreover,  the  forgery  of  the  books  in  question, 
under  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  would  seem  a 
thing  impossible.  Upon  the  contents  of  these  books 
were  founded  the  political  and  religious  systems  of 
the  Jews,  which  were  asserted  to  have  proceeded 
from  Moses,  who  claimed  a  divine  inspiration. 
Now,  suppose  these  books  had  appeared  in  any  age 
subsequent  to  the  one  in  which  this  lawgiver  lived, 
could  the  people  have  been  made  to  believe  that  their 


180  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY     SER.    16. 

institutions  had  proceeded  from  him,  and  had  always 
been  observed,  when  in  fact  their  observance  had 
been  just  introduced  ?  The  thing  is  impossible,  and 
utterly  incredible. 

Some  of  the  leading  features  of  the  argument  for 
the  genuineness  of  the  Old  .  Testament,  founded 
upon  external  evidence,  have  now  been  brought 
under  your  view.  We  may  next  consider  the  evi- 
dence of  this  fact,  which  appears  on  the  face  of  the 
record. 

In  the  first  place,  the  language,  style,  and  manner 
of  writing,  used  in  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament, 
establish  their  genuineness — an  internal  proof  is  thus 
afforded  not  only  that  these  books  were  written  by 
different  persons,  but  about  the  time  which  is 
assigned  to  them.  No  language  remains  altogether 

O  O          O  O 

stationary  for  many  ages,  and  although  from  the 
simplicity  of  character,  insulated  condition,  arid 
little  intercourse  with  their  neighbors,  which  were 
characteristic  of  the  Hebrews,  the  mutation  in  their 
language  would  not  be  very  great,  it  would  to  some 
extent  certainly  exist.  Now,  upon  comparing  the 
different  parts  of  the  Bible  in  Hebrew,  profound 
scholars  have  been  convinced  that  they  have  been 
written  in  different  and  remote  ages.  But,  the 
Hebrew  ceased  to  be  a  spoken  language  soon  after 
the  captivity.  The  presumption  then  is,  that  the 
sacred  books  were  all  of  them  written  before  or 
about  that  period.  But  some  of  them  were  demon- 


SER.   16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  181 

strablj  long  anterior  to  that   period,  and  we  have 
therefore  strong  reason  to  conclude  them  genuine. 

The  evidence  for  the  genuineness  of  the  books  in 
question  has  been  thus  particularly  stated,  because  it 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  this  fact  be 
established.  If  our  object  has  been  attained,  then 
we  may  know  that  the  Old  Testament  history,  as 
respects  the  principal  part  of  it,  is  the  narrative  of 
those  who  were  actors  in  the  transactions  which 
they  describe,  or  who  lived  in  or  near  the  age  in 
which  they  occurred.  And  we  all  know  in  how 
much  higher  estimation  the  testimony  stands  of 
contemporary  witnesses,  than  of  those  who  lived  in 
succeeding  ages. 

It  will  now  be  necessary  to  ascertain  the  authen- 
ticity of  these  records;  and  for  this  purpose,  we 
must  consider  the  credibility  of  those  by  whom  they 
were  written. 

That  credence  is  due  to  the  historians  of  the  Old 
Testament,  will  appear  from  the  following  consider- 
ations, taken  in  connection  with  each  other.  In  the 
first  place,  they  were  well  acquainted  with  the  facts 
which  they  relate.  This  necessarily  results  from 
the  conclusions  which  we  have  established  in  rela- 
tion to  the  genuineness  of  the  Old  Testament.  The 
only  difficulty  which  can  be  felt  in  relation  to  this 
subject,  respects  the  book  of  Genesis,  the  history  of 
which  treats  of  events  long  anterior  to  the  time  of 
Moses.  The  question  has  been  suggested,  how  did 


182  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY     SER.   16. 

he  obtain  materials  for  this  history  ?  To  this 
inquiry  three  answers  have  been  given, — he  received 
them  by  inspiration — he  consulted  ancient  records — 
or  he  relied  upon  oral  tradition.  In  regard  to  the 
first  solution,  I  would  observe,  that  in  this  stage  of 
our  investigation  it  will  not  be  proper  to  make  any 
remarks  on  it.  The  second  supposition  has  had 
some  able  advocates,  who  assign  good  reasons  for 
their  hypothesis.  The  third  has  also  many  advo- 
cates. Nor,  admitting  this  last  to  be  correct,  are  we 
to  suppose  that  the  information  derived  would  be 
uncertain.  Taking  into  consideration  the  longevity 
of  the  patriarchs,  the  tradition  of  the  early  occur- 
rences in  the  world  would  not  have  to  pass  through 
a  great  many  hands.  It  would  stand  thus,  Adam, 
Lamech,  Noah,  Shem,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Joseph,  to 
Amram,  the  father  of  Moses.  Tradition  might  very 
well  be  preserved  uncorrupted  through  this  channel, 
and  the  more  especially  since,  as  I  shall  hereafter 
take  occasion  to  prove,  there  was  given  to  the  his- 
torian a  superintending  inspiration,  which  would 
secure  him  from  error. 

We  have  observed  that  the  writers  of  the  Old 
Testament  were  well  acquainted  with  the  things  of 
which  they  testify ;  and  it  may  now  in  addition  be 
observed,  that  this  testimony  possesses  the  un- 
doubted characteristics  of  truth.  In  estimating  the 
confidence  due  to  an  historian,  we  are  to  consider 
whether  his  accounts  are  corroborated  or  contra- 


SER.   16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  183 

dieted  by  other  writers,  and  we  are  to  look  for  the 
internal  evidence  whicli  his  narrative  possesses  of 
truth  or  falsehood.  Now  apply  this  process  to  the 
books  in  question,  and  what  is  the  result  ?  The 
sacred  narrative  is  not  contradicted  by  profane  his- 
tory, and  that  it  is  not  more  frequently  supported,  is 
to  be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  accounts  of  the 
former  do  not  extend  much  beyond  the  period  when 
the  latter  began  to  assume  some  authentic  form. 

And  with  regard  to  the  internal  marks  of  au- 
thenticity, the  ancient  Scriptures  are  remarkably 
distinguished.  There  is  observable  in  their  authors 
an  air  of  simplicity  and  sincerity  uniformly  preserved, 
which  could  not  well  be  assumed  by  impostors. 
Moreover,  their  narrative  throughout  is  conducted 
with  the  most  extreme  particularity.  This,  as  it 
affords  innumerable  opportunities  of  detecting  false- 
hood, would  certainly  be  carefully  avoided  by  one 
whose  story  was  not  authentic.  But  to  bring  the 
subject  more  directly  under  view,  let  us  confine  our 
attention  to  the  pentateuch,  and  consider  what  credit 
is  due  to  Moses.  On  this  subject,  accept  for  con- 
sideration the  following  suggestions  : 

I.  It  is  incredible  that  an  impostor  would   have 
originated    so  holy  a  law  as  proceeded   from   the 
lawgiver  of  the  Jews. 

II.  As  Moses  did  not  intentionally  deceive  others, 


184  GENUINENESS  AND  AUTHENTICITY     SER.    16. 

we  cannot  admit  that  he  was  deceived  himself:  he 
was  neither  an  enthusiast,  nor  a  dupe  of  others. 
In  the  whole  narrative,  he  is  exhibited  in  a  very 
different  light.  Instead  of  presumptuously  engaging 
in  the  great  undertaking  before  him  with  the  high 
confidence  and  overweening  conduct  of  one  carried 
away  by  his  excited  imagination  and  feelings,  he 
evinced  great  reluctance  toward  entering  on  it ;  was 
frequently  discouraged  in  its  progress,  and  was 
alone  enabled  to  persevere,  by  the  unequivocal  in- 
dications which  he  possessed  of  a  divine  support. 
But 

III.  He  could  not  have  imposed  on  the  Israelites 
so    as    to    induce    their    submission    to    institutions 
which  were  grounded  on  the  facts  detailed  in  their 
history.      This    is    a    consideration    of    very    great 
weight.     If  the   great  facts  of  the  exodus,  and  the 
subsequent  transactions  in  their  journeyings  through 
the   wilderness    had    not   really  taken    place,   it  is 
utterly    impossible   that   the    Israelites    could    have 
respected  the  authority  of  Moses,  or  the  authenticity 
of  his  writings.     His    narrative,  indeed,  exhibited 
repeated  manifestations  of  the  divine  interposition 
on  their  behalf,  and  might  thus  flatter  their  vanity  ; 
but  there  was  far  more  in  this  narrative  of  a  char- 
acter mortifying  and  degrading  to  them.     But 

IV.  The  credibility  of  Moses  as  an  historian,  is 
farther  established  by  the  fact  that  in  his  institutions 


SER.   16.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  185 

he  paid  no  regard  to  his  own  interest,  or  that  of  his 
family.  His  own  descendants  were  left  in  the 
humble  station  of  ordinary  Levites,  while  in  his 
brother's  family  the  priesthood  was  established,  and 
the  civil  and  military  government  was  confided  to  a 
member  of  a  different  tribe. 

As  a  last  consideration  I  would  state  that  some  of 
his  institutions  were  of  such  a  nature,  that  no  one 
who  did  not  feel  himself  divinely  authorized,  would 
have  ventured  to  impose  them.  As  an  example, 
take  the  institution  of  the  sabbatical  year  ;  by  which 
all  cultivation  of  their  lands  was  prohibited  every 
seventh  year.  This  measure,  which  was  designed 
to  inculcate  the  doctrine  of  a  particular  providence, 
would  not  be  adopted  without  a  strong  confidence 
that  this  providence  would  be  afforded.  And  this 
confidence  could  not  reasonably  be  cherished,  but  in 
conformity  with  a  divine  promise  ;  for  it  involved 
the  fact  that  the  production  of  one  year  would, 
under  the  supposed  circumstances,  always  be  suf- 
ficient for  the' maintenance  of  the  people  for  two 
years.  The 'imminent  danger  which  would  exist  of 
the  continual  recurrence  of  famine,  would  prevent 
any  ordinary  lawgiver  from  establishing  the  insti- 
tution to  which  we  have  had  reference. 

Upon  these  remarks,  will  be  suffered  to  rest  the 
first  proposition,  that  the  Old  Testament  is  the  most 
ancient  history  extant,  and  possesses  undoubted 
24 


186  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  SER.   16. 

marks  of  authenticity.  On  another  occasion,  we 
shall  consider  the  second  proposition,  that  it  contains 
representations  of  Deity,  and  exhibitions  of  human 
duty,  far  transcending  the  sublimest  features  of 
heathen  philosophy. 


187 


SERMON    XVII. 


AUTHORITY  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.    ARGUMENT 
FROM  PROPHECY. 


2  PETER    1.    21. 

For  the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the  will  of  man : 
but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

ON  a  former  occasion  your  attention  was  directed 
to  some  considerations  on  the  genuineness  and 
authenticity  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 
If  the  argument,  then  proposed,  should  have  been 
deemed  satisfactory,  there  will  be  no  difficulty 
in  assenting  to  the  following  conclusions.  The 
books  in  question  contain  a  history  of  great  an- 
tiquity. Those  which  were  earliest  written  are 
now  three  centuries  old,  and  their  narrative 
extends  backward  as  far  as  the  creation.  They, 
also,  contain  an  authentic  history.  Excepting  in 


188        ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.    SER.  17. 

the  instance  of  one  book,  they  contain  the  accounts 
of  those  who  were  contemporary  with  the  transac- 
tions detailed,  which  were  not  conveyed  by  oral 
tradition  but  committed  to  writing. 

The  Scriptures,  moreover,  furnish  the  only  satis- 
factory and  credible  information  in  regard  to  the 
events  which  transpired  in  the  early  ages  of  the 
world,  for  it  was  long  subsequent  to  these  ages  that 
profane  history  assumed  any  authentic  form.  If, 
then,  no  other  claims  were  advanced  on  behalf  of 
the  waitings  of  the  Old  Testament  than  are  con- 
nected with  the  conclusions  just  stated,  they  should 
be  the  object  of  curiosity,  of  respect,  and  of  diligent 
investigation.  To  these  claims,  however,  others 
still  higher  are  added.  The  Jewish  Scriptures  are 
the  production  of  men,  who  were  under  the  influence 
of  divine  inspiration.  The  sublime  and  pure  system 
of  religion  which  they  unfolded  has  been  adduced 
as  furnishing  one  evidence  of  this  fact.  The  fulfil- 
ment of  prophecy  is  another  medium  of  proof  by 
which  the  same  conclusion  is  supported.  And  upon 
this  it  is  now  designed  to  bestow  some  attention. 

That  the  accurate  prediction  of  future  events  is 
a  certain  criterion  of  divine  inspiration  cannot  be 
doubted.  Conjectures  may  be  made  with  regard 
to  things  future,  with  which  the  event  will  often 
correspond.  But  human  foresight  is  entirely  limited 
to  facts  which  bear  an  analogy  to  past  transactions, 
and  in  regard  to  these  it  is  far  from  being  uniformly 


SER.  17.    ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.        189 

correct.  And  it  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  discriminate 
between  the  cases  where  there  has  been  merely 
made  a  fortunate  conjecture,  and  where  God  has 
given  an  insight  into  futurity  to  those  w7hom  he  has 
appointed  to  reveal  his  will. 

We  may  now  proceed  to  the  examination  of  some 
of  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament.  Prior  to 
this  examination,  however,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
obviate  an  objection.  The  obscurity  of  the  ancient 
prophetical  writings  has  been  much  insisted  on,  and 
it  is  alleged  that  this  affords  such  a  latitude  in  inter- 
preting them,  as  will  allow  of  their  accommodation 
to  any  event.  This  representation  is  grossly  incor- 
rect. There  is,  indeed,  in  some  particular  predic- 
tions, a  degree  of  obscurity  existing  previously  to 
their  fulfilment,  but  not  subsequently  to  it.  The 
event  so  perfectly  corresponds  with  what  hadjbeen 
foretold,  as  clearly  to  show  that  it,  and  it  alone, 
had  been  intended  by  the  prophets.  The  Scripture 
prophecies  are,  in  this  respect,  most  remarkably 
distinguished  from  the  ambiguous  responses  of  the 
heathen  oracles,  which  were,  in  many  instances,  so 
framed,  that  in  either  of  two  opposite  events,  their 
credit  would  be  preserved. 

It  will  be  proper  to  select,  for  our  consideration, 
a  few  of  that  great  number  of  prophecies  which  are 
contained  in  the  Bible.  They  were  continually 
given  for  a  series  of  ages ;  one  generation  saw  ful- 
filled what  had  been  predicted  to  themselves  or 


190        ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.    SER.  17. 

their  fathers,  and  these  prophecies,  with  the  account 
of  their  fulfilment,  are  contained  in  a  succession  of 
sacred  books  whose  genuineness  and  authenticity 
rests  on  the  surest  grounds. 

In  the  investigation  of  the  subject  which  we  have 
now  undertaken,  there  are  two  inquiries  to  be 
answered.  Were  the  supposed  prophecies  de- 
livered prior  to  their  alleged  fulfilment  ?  Did  the 
event  actually  correspond  with  the  previous  decla- 
rations concerning  it  ?  We  shall  bear  these  par- 
ticulars in  mind,  as  we  proceed  in  our  discussion. 
The  Old  Testament  prophecies  may  be  thus 
classed  : — 

I.  Those  which  refer  to  the  Messiah. 

II.  Those  which  relate  to  the  Jewish  people. 

III.  Those  which  concern  other  nations. 

With  respect  to  those  belonging  to  the  first  class, 
I  shall  not  now  offer  any  remarks  ;  they  are  so 
numerous  and  important  as  to  require  a  separate 
examination,  which  may  at  some  future  time  be 
afforded  to  them.  Out  of  the  two  remaining  classes 

o 

I  shall  select  a  few  of  the  most  remarkable.  From 
the  class  referring  to  the  Jewish  nation,  I  shall 
select  for  your  consideration  the  predictions  of 
Moses,  contained  in  the  28th  chapter  of  Deuter- 
onomy. This  illustrious  lawgiver  had  completed 
the  institutions  which  he  had  been  appointed  to 
deliver  to  the  Israelites.  His  career  was  nearly 
finished,  and  it  only  remained  for  him  to  give  a 


SER.  17.    ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.        191 

final  admonition  to  his  people.  To  render  this 
more  impressive,  an  insight  was  given  to  him  into 
their  future  destiny.  He  predicted  the  blessings 
which  would  attend  obedience  to  their  law  ;  the 
evils  which  would  be  consequent  upon  its  violation. 
The  latter  were  more  insisted  upon  than  the  former, 
because  it  was  foreseen  that  they  wrould  be  more 
abundantly  experienced.  To  the  affecting  repre- 
sentation of  the  calamities  which  would  befal  this 
singular  people  your  attention  will  now  be  directed. 
I  shall  not,  however,  dwell  on  any  of  the  subor- 
dinate evils  which  they  were  destined  to  experi- 
ence, but  pass  on  to  the  period  when  their  political 
existence  terminated  ;  nor  in  reference  to  this  crisis 
of  their  fate,  shall  I  pause  to  consider  how  accu- 
rately it  was  predicted,  and  how  remarkably  char- 
acteristic of  the  Romans  was  the  portrait  of  the 
instrument  of  their  final  and  most  terrible  subjuga- 
tion. It  will  be  sufficient  merely  to  quote  the 
words  of  the  prophecy — "  The  Lord  shall  bring  a 
nation  against  thee  from  far,  from  the  end  of  the 
earth,  as  swift  as  the  eagle  flieth  ;  a  nation  whose 
tonguefthou  shalt  not  understand  :  a  nation  of  fierce 
countenance,  which  shall  not  regard  the  person  of 
the  old,  nor  show  favor  to  the  young."  It  is  not 
difficult  to  recognize  in  this  description  that  people 
to  whom  the  nations  in  succession  bowed  in  subjec- 
tion, and  the  circumstance  of  their  remoteness 
becomes  more  strikingly  apparent  when  it  is  con- 


192        ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.    SER.  17. 

sidered  that  both  Vespasian  and  Hadrian,  the  two 
great  destroyers  of  the  Jews,  passed  into  Judea 
from  a  command  in  Britain,  then  deemed  the 
extremity  of  the  earth.  The  extreme  and  unpar- 
alleled sufferings  which  this  devoted  people  endured 
at  a  time  when  they  were  -besieged  in  all  their 
gates  are  also  most  accurately  foretold.  But  upon 
these  it  is  not  designed  to  insist.  By  limiting  our 
view  to  a  few  specific  points  in  the  prophecy  of 
Moses,  a  more  distinct  impression  will  be  made 
upon  our  minds.  I  shall,  therefore,  cause  to  pass 
in  review  before  you  the  following  particulars  in 
relation  to  the  Jews.  Their  being  plucked  from 
their  own  land,  their  dispersion  through  all  nations, 
their  condition  in  this  dispersion,  and  their  continued 
existence  as  a  distinct  people. 

We  may  compare  together  the  prophecy  and  its 
fulfilment,  and  in  doing  this  I  shall  avail  myself  of 
the  researches  of  a  learned  writer  who  has  left 
nothing  to  be  supplied  on  this  subject.  In  the  63d 
verse  of  the  28th  chapter  of  Deuteronomy,  there 
occurs  the  following  passage — •"  And  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  that  as  the  Lord  rejoiced  over  you  to  do 
you  good,  and  to  multiply  you  ;  so  the  Lord  will 
rejoice  over  you  to  destroy  you,  and  to  bring  you  to 
nought ;  and  ye  shall  be  plucked  from  off  the  land 
whither  thou  goest  to  possess  it."  The  conformity 
of  this  prediction  with  the  event  is  undeniable.  It 
was  partially  fulfilled  in  the  Babylonish  captivity, 


SER.  17.    ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.        193 

and  in  the  carrying  away  of  the  ten  tribes  by  the 
Assyrians.  Its  full  accomplishment  took  place  at 
the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans. 
Then  were  the  Jews  plucked  from  their  own  land ; 
for  at  no  distant  period  from  the  event  alluded  to, 
Adrian  having  suppressed  a  rebellion  among  them, 
published  an  edict  forbidding  them,  upon  pain  of 
death,  to  set  foot  in  Jerusalem  or  even  to  approach 
the  country  round  about  it.  And  this  state  of 
things  has  continued  for  seventeen  centuries.  Ben- 
jamin, of  Tudela,  a  celebrated  Jew  of  the  twelfth 
century,  reports  that  Jerusalem  was  almost  entirely 
abandoned  by  the  Jews  ;  that  in  other  places  they 
were  still  fewer  in  number,  and  at  a  much  more 
recent  period  an  accurate  traveller  gives  the  follow- 
ing description  of  the  Holy  Land — "  It  is  for  the 
most  part  inhabited  by  Moors  and  Arabians.  Turks 
there  be  few,  but  many  Greeks  and  other  Chris- 
tians of  all  sects  and  nations,  such  as  impute  to  the 
place  an  adherent  holiness.  Here  be,  also,  some 
Jews,  yet  4  inherit  they  no  part  of  the  land,  but  in 
their  own  country  do  live  as  aliens.' '  Sandys. 
We  return  to  the  prophecy — "  And  the  Lord  shall 
scatter  thee  among  all  people,  from  the  one  end  of 
the  earth  even  unto  the  other."  How  remarkably 
has  this  been  verified.  What  people  has  ever  been 
dispersed  as  they  are  ?  Where  is  the  nation  which 
is  unknown  to  them  or  to  which  they  are  strangers  ? 
They  exist  in  great  numbers  in  the  remotest  parts 
25 


194        ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.    SER.  17. 

of  the  East,  and  abound  in  Europe,  Africa,  and 
America.  This  fact  is  so  obvious,  that  I  proceed  to 
consider  the  predictions  concerning  their  condition 
during  their  dispersion.  "  And  among  these  nations 
shalt  thou  find  no  ease,  neither  shall  the  sole  of  thy 
foot  have  rest."  How  strikingly  does  this  refer  to 
their  numerous  banishments  from  city  to  city  and 
from  country  to  country.  Some  of  the  most  re- 
markable of  these  may  be  mentioned.  In  the  latter 
end  of  the  thirteenth  century  they  were  banished 
from  England  by  Edward  I.,  and  were  not  permitted 
to  return  again  and  settle  until  the  time  of  Crom- 
well. In  the  latter  end  of  the  fourteenth  century 
they  were  banished  from  France  (for  the  seventh 
time,  says  Megeray)  by  Charles  VI.  At  the  close 
of  the  fifteenth  century  they  were  banished  from 
Spain  by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and,  according  to 
Mariana,  there  were  a  hundred  and  seventy  thou- 
sand families  who  left  the  kingdom.  These  found 
refuge  in  Portugal,  from  which,  however,  they  were 
soon  expelled.  No  wonder,  then,  if,  under  these 
circumstances,  they  should,  in  the  language  of  the 
prophecy,  "  have  a  trembling  heart,  and  failing  of 
eyes,  and  sorrow  of  mind." 

In  verse  29,  it  is  declared,  "  ye  shall  be  op- 
pressed and  spoiled  evermore,"  and  who  that  is  at 
all  acquainted  with  the  history  of  this  unfortunate 
people,  knows  not  that  this  has  been  remarkably  the 
.fact  in  respect  of  them.  In  verse  32,  it  is  declared, 


SER.  17.    ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.        195 

"  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  shall  be  given  unto 
another  people."  We  find  the  accomplishment  of 
this  prediction  in  the  fact,  that  in  several  countries 
their  children  have  been  taken  from  them  to  be 
educated  in  the  Popish  religion.  The  fourth  council 
of  Toledo  ordered,  that  they  should  be  shut  up  in 
monasteries  to  be  educated  in  the  Christian  faith. 
"  And  when  they  were  banished  from  Portugal,  the 
king,"  says  Mariana,  "  ordered  all  their  children, 
under  fourteen  years,  to  be  taken  from  them  and 
baptized. 

Again,  in  the  64th  verse  it  is  stated  as  a  conse- 
quence of  their  dispersion,  that  they  "  should  serve 
other  gods,  which  neither  thou  nor  thy  fathers  have 
known,  even  wood  and  stone."  As  the  Jews  have 
not  generally  been  disposed  to  idolatry  since  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  it  may  be  thought  that  this 
part  of  the  prediction  has  failed.  This  is  not  the 
fact.  They  have  been  forced  in  many  instances,  to 
conform  to  the  image  worship  of  the  church  of 
Rome.  The  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Inquisitions, 
says  Basnage,  reduce  them  to  the  dilemma  of  either 
being  hypocrites  or  being  burnt;  and  the  number  of 
these  dissemblers  is  very  considerable.  The  same 
writer  in  another  place  remarks* — "  The  most  sur- 
prising thing  is,  that  this  religion  spreads  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  and  still  subsists  in  the 

*  Basnage,  B.  VII.  C.  xxi.  Sec.  26. 


196        ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.    SER.  17. 

persons  of  dissemblers  in  a  remote  posterity.  In 
vain  the  great  lords  of  Spain  make  alliances, 
change  their  names,  and  take  ancient  scutcheons, 
they  are  still  known  to  be  of  Jewish  race  and  Jews 
themselves.  The  convents  of  monks  and  nuns  are 
full  of  them.  Most  of  the  canons,  inquisitors,  and 
bishops,  proceed  from  this  nation.  This  is  enough 
to  make  the  people  and  clergy  of  this  country 
tremble. 

In  the  meantime,  Robio,  who  relates  the  fact, 
knew  these  dissemblers.  He  was  one  of  them 
himself,  and  bent  the  knee  before  the  sacrament. 
Moreover,  he  brings  proof  of  his  assertion  in  main- 
taining that  there  are  in  the  synagogue  of  Am- 
sterdam, brothers  and  sisters,  and  near  relations  to 
good  families  of  Spain  and  Portugal ;  and  even  Fran- 
ciscan Monks,  Dominicans  and  Jesuits,  who  came 
to  do  penance  and  make  amends  for  the  crime  they 
have  committed  in  dissembling." 

We  return  to  the  prophecy  in  verse  37th.  "They 
shall  become  an  astonishment,  a  proverb,  and  a  by- 
word, among  all  nations" — and,  in  verse  59,  "  their 
plagues  shall  be  wonderful,  even  great  plagues, 
and  of  long  continuance."  Both  these  statements 
have  been  remarkably  fulfilled.  Mohammedans, 
Pagans,  and  Christians,  however  widely  differing  on 
other  subjects,  agree  in  vilifying  and  persecuting 
this  unhappy  people — and  in  their  desolate  con- 
dition, they  have  now  subsisted  more  than  seven- 
teen centuries. 


SER.  17.    ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.        197 

We  thus  observe  how  remarkably  the  event  has 
corresponded  with  the  prediction,  in  regard  to  their 
being  plucked  from  their  own  land — their  dispersion 
through  all  nations,  and  their  condition  in  that 
dispersion.  The  singular  fact  of  their  continued 
existence  as  a  distinct  people,  is  in  exact  accordance 
with  what  had  been  foretold.  In  Leviticus  xxvi. 
44,  at  the  conclusion  of  passages  similar  to  those 
which  we  have  been  considering,  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing :  "  And  yet  for  all  that,  when  they  be  in  the 
land  of  their  enemies,  I  will  not  cast  them  away, 
neither  will  I  abhor  them,  to  destroy  them  utterly, 
and  to  break  my  covenant  with  them."  In  regard  to 
the  fact  here  expressed,  how  striking  are  the  obser- 
vations of  a  writer  already  quoted — "  What  nation 
hath  suffered  so  much,  and  yet  endured  so  long  ? 
WThat  nation  hath  subsisted  as  a  distinct  people  in 
their  own  country  so  long  as  they  have  done  in  their 
dispersion  into  all  countries,  and  what  a  standing 
miracle  is  thus  exhibited  to  the  view  of  the  whole 
world." 

Although  not  having  any  direct  reference  to  the 
object  had  in  view  in  this  discourse,  we  cannot 
avoid  here  adverting  to  the  inquiry,  Why  is  this 
people  so  singularly  preserved  ?  Is  it  merely  as 
monuments  of  the  divine  displeasure  ?  or  is  it  to 
furnish  an  abiding  evidence  of  the  divine  legation 
of  Moses,  who  has  predicted  all  these  things. 
Surely  not.  The  Almighty  yet  has  mercy  in  store 


198         ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.    SER.  17. 

for  them.  This  belief  is  founded  upon  many  pro- 
mises ;  for  instance,  that  contained  in  Deut.  xxx. 
1 — 3.  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  all  these 
things  are  come  upon  thee,  the  blessing  and  the 
curse,  which  I  have  set  before  thee,  and  thou  shalt 
call  them  to  mind  among  all  .the  nations,  whither 
the  Lord  thy  God  hath  driven  thee,  and  shalt  re- 
turn unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  arid  shalt  obey  his 
voice  according  to  all  that  I  command  thee  this 
day — That  then  the  Lord  thy  God  will  turn  thy 
captivity,  and  have  compassion  upon  thee,  and  will 
return  and  gather  thee  from  all  the  nations,  whither 
the  Lord  thy  God  hath  scattered  thee."  We  con- 
fidently anticipate  that  the  fulfilment  of  this  promise 
will  afford  another  ground  of  faith  to  other  and 
future  generations. 

I  would  now  call  your  attention  to  the  conclusion 
resulting  from  the  discussion  in  which  we  have 
been  engaged. 

Here  then  is  a  prediction  and  its  accurate  fulfil- 
ment. The  prophecy  is  of  undoubted  antiquity — 
the  accomplishment  under  our  own  eyes — The  fact 
of  this  correspondence  remains  to  be  accounted 
for  —  "  Is  human  foresight  —  enthusiasm  —  con- 
jecture — chance  —  political  contrivance  —  adequate 
to  the  desired  solution  ?"  "If,"  to  use  the  language 
of  a  forcible  writer,*  "none  of  these  are  sufficient 
to  account  for  the  fact,  then  true  philosophy,  as  well 

*  Key  to  the  Prophecies,  by  David  Simpson. 


SER.  17.    ARGUMENT  FROM  PROPHECY.        199 

as  true  religion,  will  ascribe  it  to  the  inspiration  of 
the  Almighty.  But,  if  God  be  the  author  of  these 
predictions,  the  book  which  contains  them  is 
stamped  with  the  seal  of  heaven;  a  rich  vein  of 
evidence  runs  through  the  volume  of  the  Old 
Testament :  the  Bible  is  true  :  infidelity  is  con- 
founded forever  ;  and  we  may  address  its  patrons  in 
the  language  of  St.  Paul,  '  Behold,  ye  despisers, 
and  wonder  and  perish.'  " 


200 


SERMON    XVIII. 


SUFFICIENCY  AND  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
SCRIPTURES. 


2  TIMOTHY    ill.    15. 

The  holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able  to  make  thee  wise  unto 
salvation. 

THE  object  for  which  man  was  created,  was  the 
subject  of  our  consideration  on  a  former  occasion. 
It  was  then  seen  that  the  ultimate  and  highest  end 
which  he  should  purpose  to  himself,  was  the  ad- 
vancement of  God's  glory,  and  dre  possession  of 
that  happiness  which  is  derived  from  his  favor. 
But  how  may  the  divine  glory  be  pomoted  by  our 
instrumentality  ?  How  may  we  secure  the  bles- 
sedness consequent  upon  the  divine  favor  ?  By  one 
very  simple  means — conformity  to  the  will  of  God. 
But  who  is  the  authorized  interpreter  of  that  will  ? 


f         *    *FTHf 

fUNIVERSi 

J 

%/  .  » 

SER.   18.         THE  CHRISTIAN  SCRIPTURES.  201 

Whence  are  we  to  derive  a  knowledge  of  our  duty, 
and  of  the  means  of  happiness  ? 

That  Being  to  whom  we  owe  all,  and  from  wrhom 
we  receive  every  thing,  is  alone  competent  to  afford 
this  instruction.  But  will  he  afford  this  informa- 
tion ?  Has  he  already  given  it  ? 

He  that  is  perfectly  just,  will  not  require  con- 
formity to  an  unknown  rule  of  duty.  Far  less  will 
He  that  is  infinitely  good  act  in  this  manner.  By 
human  beings,  therefore,  the  knowledge  of  the 
nature  and  extent  of  their  obligations  is  attainable. 
It  is  derived  through  a  divine  communication  to 
them ;  and  this  communication  is  in  its  nature  two- 
fold. First,  God  speaks  directly  to  the  hearts  of 
men ;  and  second,  He  speaks  to  them  by  means  of 
his  written  word.  God  speaks  directly  to  the 
hearts  of  men.  His  declarations  are  intelligible, 
impressive,  given  without  cessation.  It  is  the  voice 
of  conscience  to  which  I  refer.  This  is  the  most 
universal  mode  in  which  the  divine  will  is  intimated 
to  us.  We  are  so  constituted  by  the  author  of  our 
being,  thatTfor  €iftain  actions  or  feelings  we  are 
self-condemned ;  for  others,  self-approved  ;  and  wre 
are  persuaded  that  these  sentences  will  respectively 
be  affirmed  by  Him  to  whom  we  have  an  account  to 
render.  In  the  regulation  of  human  conduct,  the 
principle  alluded  to  is  of  vast  importance.  In  the 
absence  of  a  more  sufficient  rule,  it  imparts  much 
necessary  information.  Where  revelation  has  not 
26 


202  SUFFICIENCY  AND  AUTHORITY         SER.   18. 

been  made,  or  its  light  extinguished,  the  sole  di- 
rectory concerning  good  and  evil,  is  the  sense  of 
right  or  wrong  impressed  upon  our  minds  by  the 
God  who  made  us.  Arid  under  all  circumstances, 
its  agency  is  most  beneficial  ;  for  when  the  daring 
transgressor  despises  the  opinions  of  the  good,  and 
neglects  the  dictates  of  revelation,  he  has  a  monitor 
in  his  own  bosom  whose  voice  must  be  heard,  and 
whose  rebukes  are  terrible. 

The  Almighty,  then,  by  the  instrumentality  of 
conscience,  shows  to  men  what  is  to  be  approved  or 
avoided,  under  the  circumstances  in  which  they 
may  be  placed  in  life.  In  regard  to  his  own  char- 
acter and  purposes,  there  are  also  some  discoveries 
made  by  means  of  what  is  termed  the  "  light  of 
nature."  Reason,  attentively  observing  the  phe- 
nomena of  the  universe,  and  reflecting  upon  its  own 
operations  may  ascertain  many  truths  in  religion. 
But  conscience  as  a  directory  of  duty,  and  reason 
as  a  guide  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  are  far  from 
being  sufficient.  The  one  may  lose  its  influence 
by  the  repetition  of  transgression,  the  other  is  often 
fallacious,  and  always  imperfect  in  its  communi- 
cations. An  external  revelation  of  God's  will  is, 
therefore,  important ;  one  which  is  complete  in  its 
character ;  sure  in  its  decisions  ;  to  which  access 
may  be  had  at  all  times,  and  which  is  uniform  and 
consistent  in  its  declarations.  Such  a  revelation 
we  believe  has  been  given,  and  that  it  is  contained 


SER.   18.      OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   SCRIPTURES.  203 

in  those  "  holy  Scriptures  which  are  able  to  make 
us  wise  unto  salvation." 

It  is  not  with  religion  as  with  many  other 
subjects,  that  the  knowledge  which  we  attain 
must  be  the  result  of  close  observation,  or  profound 
thinking  on  our  part.  And  it  is  impossible  that  it 
should  be  so.  Objects  not  perceptible  by  the 
senses  ;  not  subjects  of  consciousness  ;  not  dis- 
coverable, therefore,  by  our  reason,  engage  the  at- 
tention and  stimulate  the  exertions  of  him  who 
wishes  to  do  the  Almighty's  will.  These  objects 
must,  by  some  extraordinary  means,  be  brought 
under  the  observation  of  men.  This  means,  is  an 
external  revelation.  Accordingly,  we  observe  this 
element  to  enter  into  all  the  recorded  dispensations 
of  God.  We  observe  it  in  the  first  place,  when 
the  world  was  in  its  infancy  ;  when  creation  was 
recent.  With  the  parents  of  the  human  race  before 
their  apostasy,  Jehovah  appears  to  have  preserved  a 
direct  intercourse.  From  a  divine  teacher  they 
would  derive  a  knowledge  of  the  world's  forma- 
tion— of  the  perfections  of  its  author — of  the  duties 
and  prospects  of  his  creatures.  When  the  degene- 
racy of  the  race  ensued,  still  there  were  individuals 
favored  with  communications  from  their  Maker. 
These  discoveries,  together  with  the  knowledge 
orally  transmitted  from  their  fathers,  constituted  the 
patriarchal  religion.  The  period  when  this  became 
most  comprehensive  was  the  age  of  Abraham — 


204  SUFFICIENCY  AND  AUTHORITY         SER.   18. 

other  ceremonies  were  added  to  the  ancient  rites — 
new  and  more  definite  promises  given — and  the 
dawning  light  of  the  last,  and  clearest,  and  most 
perfect  dispensation  of  grace  was  beginning  to 
appear.  Before,  however,  its  full  splendor  was 
revealed,  there  intervened  an  economy  less  perfect 
than  itself,  but  admirably  fitted  to  prepare  for  its 
approach.  This  was  the  age  of  Moses  and  the 
prophets.  Revelation  then  first  became  written  ; 
was  thus  invested  with  a  permanent  character,  and 
adapted  to  afford  instruction  to  all  generations.  To 
these  writings  the  text  had  reference.  It  is  more 
strikingly  applicable  to  that  word  which  in  the 
latter  days  God  has  spoken  by  his  Son. 

It  thus  appears  that  the  world  has  never  been 
destitute  of  some  divine  communication.  Of  the 
sufficiency  and  exclusive  authority  of  that  contained 
in  the  New  Testament,  I  now  propose  to  treat. 

The  holy  Scriptures,  then,  are  able  to  make  us 
wise  unto  salvation,  inasmuch  as  they  are  a  most 
comprehensive  directory  of  faith  and  practice  ;  as 
they  are  distinguished  by  great  excellence  ;  and  as 
they  are  given  by  inspiration  of  God. 

1.  They  are  in  the  first  place,  a  most  compre- 
hensive directory  of  faith  and  practice.  There  is 
nothing  connected  with  our  religious  belief,  duties 
or  prospects,  to  which  they  do  not  refer.  The 
origin  of  created  things  is  related,  with  the  time, 
and  manner  of  their  production.  The  character, 


SER.   18.       OF  THE  CHRISTIAN   SCRIPTURES.  205 

original  operation,  and  continued  interposition  of  the 
Creator  are  displayed.  So  are  the  primceval  condi- 
tion of  man,  and  the  subsequent  events  in  his  moral 
history.  A  still  more  interesting  subject  embraced 
in  their  instructions,  is  the  future  condition  of  intelli- 
gent beings  ;  for  what  is  past,  is  irrevocable  and  im- 
mutable ;  what  is  future,  may  be  provided  against. 
The  nature  of  moral  goodness — the  means  of 
attaining  it — its  happy  consequences — the  penal 
sanction  by  which  its  cultivation  is  enforced,  are  all 
comprised  in  the  writings  which  we  account  sacred. 
Thus  it  appears  that  these  writings  comprehend 
every  subject  which  can  be  interesting  to  us  in  a 
religious  view.  This  is  one  recommendation  of 
great  value  if  certain  others  exist  with  it. 

Another  claim  to  our  regard  is  presented  on  the 
ground  of  the  intrinsic  excellence  of  the  records  in 
question.  There  are  two  methods  by  which  this 
may  be  determined.  One  criterion  by  which  our 
Scriptures  may  be  tried,  is  a  reference  to  the  de- 
cision of  enlightened  reason,  associated  with  vir- 
tuous dispositions. 

2.  Another  test  is,  the  general  and  admitted 
tendency  of  its  doctrines.  Let  the  contents 
of  sacred  Scripture  be  compared  with  the  dic- 
tates of  reason,  exempt  from  prejudice,  and  un- 
biased by  corruption.  But  are  there  such  dic- 
tates originating  solely  in  our  own  minds,  inde- 
pendently of  the  knowledge  given  by  revelation  ? 


206  SUFFICIENCY  AND  AUTHORITY         SER.    18. 

The  subject  has  been  often  discussed,  and  while 
some  have  held  that  the  light  of  nature,  as  it  is 
termed,  is  sufficient  for  our  instruction  in  religion, 
others  have  deemed  it  a  very  imperfect  and  un- 
certain guide,  and  many  have  altogether  disallowed 
its  authority.  That  there  is  in  the  world  a  know- 
ledge upon  religious  subjects,  distinct  from  what  is 
obtained  from  revelation,  is  by  many  considered  as 
an  incontrovertible  fact.  The  evidence  of  it  is 
found  in  the  history  of  those  nations  to  whom  God 
has  riot  spoken  as  he  has  done  to  us,  but  who  are, 
nevertheless,  not  altogether  ignorant  of  his  char- 
acter and  existence.  It  is  moreover  supported  by 
our  conscience,  which  assures  us  that  we  should 
know  God  to  exist ;  to  be  all-wise,  all-powerful, 
had  the  Bible  never  unfolded  its  pages  to  our  view. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  contended  that  the  few 
elements  of  religious  truth  retained  among  heathen 
nations,  are  remains  of  an  original,  but  generally 
forgotten  revelation  ;  and  that  with  respect  to  the 
competency  of  our  reason  to  attain  the  knowledge 
of  particular  truths,  we  may  be  mistaken.  Con- 
ceptions previously  formed  under  the  guidance  of 
revelation,  afford  us  assistance  in  forming  those 
conclusions  which  we  supposed  to  be  solely  derived 
from  our  own  reason.  There  is  much  force  in  these 
remarks,  and  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  insist 
upon  them  in  opposition  to  the  contemners  of  holy 
writ,  who,  after  having  received  almost  every  par- 


I- 

SER.   18.       OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SCRIPTURES.  207 

ticular  of  their  religious  knowledge  from  it,  and  from 
those  who  have  enjoyed  its  instructions,  attempt 
to  detract  from  its  authority,  and  presumptuously 
assert  the  "entire  sufficiency"  of  human  reason  for 
instructing  us  in  the  knowledge  of  God's  attributes 
and  will.  But  while  we  can  feel  no  hesitation  in 
refusing  to  ratify  such  arrogant  pretensions  as  those 
just  mentioned,  we  cannot  so  readily  determine  the 
precise  amount  of  religious  information  attainable 
by  the  natural  powers  of  the  human  mind.  It  is 
impossible  to  find  any  human  being  who  has  been 
entirely  left  to  the  guidance  of  his  own  reason.  In 
Christian  lands,  this  is  most  obviously  the  case. 
From  our  infancy  we  have  been  taught  many  par- 
ticulars concerning  our  duty,  which  now  appear  to 
us  conformed  to  reason,  as  well  as  dictated  by  rev- 
elation ;  but  whether  without  the  communications 
of  the  latter,  they  would  ever  have  been  discovered 
by  the  former,  is  more  than  we  can  decide.  And 
in  this  view,  what  is  called  natural  religion,  may  be 
in  truth,  only  a  modification  of  that  which  is  re- 
vealed ;  arid  as  having  no  independent  origin. 

And  so  also  in  respect  to  heathen  nations  it  may 
be  argued  that  there  was  a  period  when  the  Almighty 
was  known  to  the  whole  human  family.  When  the 
majority  of  mankind  fell  into  idolatry  by  forgetting 
the  glorious  nature  of  Him  who  created  them,  there 
was  doubtless,  something  of  their  old  knowledge 
retained,  although  much  intermixed  with  error;  and 


208  SUFFICIENCY  AND  AUTHORITY        SER.   18. 

this  passing  by  tradition  from  generation  to  gene- 
ration, came  in  time  to  be  considered  as  truths 
discoverable  by  human  reason.  A  remarkable  con- 
firmation of  this  statement  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
the  earliest  philosophy  as  well  as  theology  known  in 
profane  antiquity,  was  traditional.  It  was  not 
presented  to  mankind  as  elaborated  by  patient  and 
profound  thinking — it  was  received  on  the  authority 
of  the  ancients.  The  earliest  Greek  sages  sought  it 
in  Egypt,  the  mother  of  science,  ordinary  as  well  as 
sacred.  And  when  their  successors,  deeming  it 
unphilosophical  to  receive  their  opinions  on  the 
credit  of  others,  sought  to  support  them  by  rational 
investigation,  instead  of  approximating  to  the  truth, 
they  departed  more  widely  from  it.  And  thus  was 
the  deficiency  of  reason,  as  the  organ  of  deter- 
mining religious  truth,  most  remarkably  exemplified. 

But,  while  we  hold  the  idea  to  be  a  preposterous 
one  that  revelation  is  rendered  unnecessary,  by  the 
sufficiency  of  the  light  of  nature — and  while  we  are 
unable  to  determine  precisely  the  information  con- 
veyed by  the  latter,  one  thing  is  certain — there  are 
certain  truths,  which  when  presented  to  our  minds 
command  our  cordial  and  unreserved  assent,  inde- 
pendently of  any  confirmation  which  may  be  con- 
ferred upon  them  by  Scripture.  Of  ourselves  we 
might  not  discover  them — but  when  stated,  we  feel 
them  to  be  true. 

We    do   not   then    test    the    excellence    of  the 


SER.   18.       OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SCRIPTURES.  209 

Scriptures  by  the  conformity  of  their  instructions 
with  a  religious  and  moral  system  resting  solely 
upon  rational  demonstration,  for  it  is  exceedingly 
doubtful  whether  there  be  such  a  system — but  we 
say,  that  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  Christianity, 
when  made  known,  are  approved  by  enlightened 
reason,  associated  with  virtuous  dispositions.  The 
condition  here  mentioned  is  attached,  because  the 
judgments  of  men  are  in  many  instances,  biased  by 
their  inclinations.  And  they  who  are  conscious  of 
depravity  and  guilt,  will  be  disposed  to  cherish 
views  in  religion  calculated  to  afford  to  their  con- 
sciences peace,  and  to  their  minds  the  hope  of 
future  happiness.  Allowance  being  made  for  this 
source  of  error,  we  appeal  unhesitatingly  to  the 
natural  judgment  of  mankind,  concerning  the  truth 
and  excellence  of  the  scripture  system.  Its  doc- 
trines will  be  confirmed — its  morals  approved — the 
objections  to  it  negatived  by  this  authority.  The 
fact  of  God's  existence — the  nature  of  his  per- 
fections— the  general  character  of  his  dispensations, 
are  so  delineated  that  every  wise  and  good  man 
must  yield  his  cordial  acquiescence. 

The  only  difficulty  connected  with  the  subject  in 
hand,  is  but  an  apparent  one.  It  is  this — there  are 
particular  discoveries  concerning  the  divine  nature, 
which  some  suppose  unreasonable  and  absurd — for 
instance  the  doctrine  of  the  trinity.  But,  let  it  be 
observed  that  the  scripture  declarations  on  this 
27 


210  SUFFICIENCY  AND  AUTHORITY         SER.   18. 

subject  do  not  contravene  any  conceptions  of  the 
divine  nature  which  is  approved  by  human  reason — 
something  is  merely  superadded  to  these  concep- 
tions. You  believe  that  God  is  eternal,  wise, 
powerful,  good — that  he  is  one.  So  do  we  believe 
also — but,  guided  by  what  we  are  assured  is  a 
divine  revelation,  we  believe  that  in  the  one  perfect 
existence  denominated  God,  there  are  three  persons, 
in  substance,  perfection,  and  eternity  the  same,  yet 
preserving  different  aspects  toward  us  their  creatures, 
and  revealed  as  distinct  in  their  operations.  Does 
your  reason  afford  you  any  evidence  that  this 
doctrine  is  not  true  ?  Have  you  so  intimate  a 
knowledge  of  the  Almighty  as  to  be  sure  that  the 
distinctions  in  his  nature  to  which  we  refer,  have  no 
existence  ?  Surely  not.  All  then  which  you  can 
say  is,  that  it  is  mysterious — that  it  is  incompre- 
hensible ; — but  is  this  the  criterion  of  falsehood  ? — 
are  those  things  alone  true  which  you  know  and 
comprehend  ? — the  supposition  is  an  utterly  absurd 
one. 

The  doctrines  of  the  Christian  revelation  then, 
are  affirmed  by  the  natural  judgment  of  all  wise  and 
good  men. 

Its  precepts  are  also  affirmed  by  the  suggestions 
of  an  enlightened  conscience.  Upon  this  point  I 
shall  not  dwell. 

The  excellence  of  the  scripture  morals,  and  their 
conformity  with  the  best  feelings  of  the  human 
heart,  no  candid  man  will  deny. 


SER.   18.       OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SCRIPTURES.  211 

And,  with  regard  to  the  objections  made  to  the 
Christian  system,  they  may  be  shown  equally  to 
apply  to  that  deduced  from  the  appearances  of 
nature.  There  is  an  entire  analogy  between  the 
dispensations  of  Providence  and  the  economy  of 
grace.  And  he  who  gives  up  revealed,  must  aban- 
don natural  religion — he  must  deny  that  God  is,  or 
assert  that  he  is  weak  or  imperfect. 

Thus,  the  principle  with  which  we  set  out — that 
the  Holy  Scriptures  are  able  to  make  us  wise  unto 
salvation,  has  been  proved  by  the  fact  that  they  are 
a  most  comprehensive  rule  of  faith  arid  practice, 
and  that  they  possess  an  obvious  and  intrinsic 
excellence.  This  excellence  has  been  supported 
by  an  appeal  to  enlightened  reason,  associated  with 
good  dispositions.  We  have  yet  to  apply  to  it 
another  test — the  tendency  to  promote  human  hap- 
piness. This  must  however,  be  referred  to  another 
occasion,  when  we  may  also  attempt  to  show,  that 
'  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and 
is  profitable  for  doctrine — for  correction — for  re- 
proof, and  instruction  in  righteousness.' 


212 


SERMON    XIX. 


UTILITY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE  HISTORIES. 


1   CORINTHIANS    X.    11. 

*  ;;""-it    fer,i1     •';';rrrr!'VO'r»    Riff]       ••.'rnfi*jff*v»?:«* 

Now  all  these  things  happened  unto  them  for  ensamples  : 
and  they  are  written  for  our  admonition,  upon  whom  the 
ends  of  the  world  are  come. 

THE  possession  of  high  privileges  is,  too  often, 
productive  rather  of  presumption  than  of  a  prudent 
care  to  improve  them.  And  among  the  early  Chris- 
tians there  were  some,  who,  vain  of  the  blessings 
which  they  enjoyed,  seemed  to  forget  that  the  good 
to  be  ultimately  possessed  depended  not  upon  the 
advantages  afforded  to  them  for  their  religious  edifi- 
cation, but  upon  the  pious  use  of  those  advantages. 
Because  they  had  received  the  right  of  baptism 
emblematic  of  moral  purification,  and  partaken  of 
the  solemn  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  supper  in  which 
their  participation  in  the  benefits  flowing  from  his 


SER.  19.  SCRIPTURE  HISTORIES.  213 

death  was  represented  ;  they  supposed  themselves 
assured  of  the  divine  favor,  whatever  might  be  the 
irregularities  of  their  conduct.  The  Apostle  was 
desirous  of  correcting  this  erroneous  apprehension. 
He  would  not  have  them  remain  ignorant  that 
others  had  been  alike  favored  with  external  priv- 
ileges, who  had  nevertheless  not  escaped  the 
severity  of  the  divine  judgments.  The  favors  and 
immunities  granted  to  the  ancestors  of  the  Jewish 
nation  had  not  been  limited  to  a  few  individuals  of 
uncommon  excellence  ;  they  had  been  universally 
enjoyed.  And  those  who  were  baptized  into  Moses, 
i.  e.  who,  by  baptism,  were  taken  into  the  covenant 
of  which  he  was  mediator,  who  were  fed  by  the 
manna,  typical  of  the  true  bread  from  heaven,  and 
who  drank  of  that  miraculous  stream  which  flowed 
from  the  rock,  who  were  refreshed  by  the  covering 
of  the  cloud  by  day  and  guarded  by  its  brightness 
when  it  nightly  became  a  pillar  of  fire  ;  these 
very  individuals,  highly  favored  as  they  had  been, 
were  upon  transgression,  subjected  to  condign 
punishment.  Their  desire  after  evil  things,  their 
idolatry,  their  impurity,  their  tempting  of  Christ^ 
who  was  that  angel  of  God's  presence,  who  guided 
them  through  the  wilderness ;  and  their  murmur- 
ings  against  his  dispensations,  induced,  on  one 
occasion,  the  destruction  of  three  and  twenty 
thousand ;  on  another  the  loss  of  many  lives  by  the 
visitation  of  fiery  serpents,  and  on  many  others 


214  UTILITY    OF    THE  SER.   19. 

severe  calamities  from  various  sources.  Since  then 
these  had  partaken  of  the  signs  of  Jehovah's  cove- 
nant and  enjoyed  many  religious  privileges,  and  yet 
had  not  escaped  punishment  when  they  sinned  ;  it 
was  in  vain  to  expect,  that  at  the  period  when  the 
Apostle  wrote,  the  possession  of  all  the  advantages 
afforded  by  the  gospel,  could  procure  for  those  who 
transgressed,  exemption  from  God's  judgments. 

The  particular  incidents  in  the  Jewish  history 
to  which  I  have  referred,  were  in  the  view  of  the 
Apostle  when  the  text  was  written,  These  are 
the  things  which  happened  unto  them  for  examples 
to  us.  Not  that  the  offending  Israelites  were  made 
to  act  thus  for  this  end,  but  that  acting  in  such  a 
manner  as  they  did,  and  suffering  such  a  punishment 
as  was  inflicted  upon  them,  their  experience  might 
become  a  profitable  subject  of  consideration  wher- 
ever it  should  be  known.  They  were,  therefore, 
W7ritten  or  recorded  for  our  admonition,  for  the  in- 
struction of  the  contemporaries  of  the  Apostle,  upon 
wrhom  the  ends  of  the  world  had  come,  who  lived 
at  the  extremities  of  the  two  ages  or  dispensations 
under  which  the  world  had  been  placed,  the  ending 
of  the  Jewish,  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  age. 

The  leading  idea  of  the  passage  now  under  view 
is,  that  the  details  of  scriptural  history  were 
designed  to  promote  our  religious  edification.  It 
is,  therefore,  intended,  on  the  present  occasion,  to 
bestow  some  attention  in  the  illustration  of  this 


SER.   19.  SCRIPTURE    HISTORIES.  215 

principle.  With  unbelievers  it  has  been  common  to 
doubt  the  utility  or  condemn  the  morality  of  some 
portions  of  the  history  of  the  Bible.  Through  a 
strange  obliquity  of  the  understanding,  or  a  more 
culpable  perversity  of  disposition,  the  fact  of  crimes 
being  recorded,  has  been  viewed  as  equivalent  to 
their  being  approved  or  tolerated.  Nothing  can  be 
more  absurd  than  such  a  supposition.  And  while 
it  is  undeniable  that  the  holy  precepts,  gracious 
promises,  and  pious  examples,  exhibited  in  the 
sacred  Scriptures,  constitute  their  great  claims  upon 
our  regard,  it  is  not  the  less  true,  that  very  much 
instruction  may  also  be  derived  from  the  record 
which  they  contain  of  the  errors  of  good  or  the 
crimes  of  wicked  men.  As  has  already  been  ob- 
served, the  registering  of  a  particular  action  is  not 
equivalent  to  an  approbation  of  it.  In  many 
instances  there  is  a  positive  condemnation  of  such 
conduct  as  is  criminal.  Under  such  circumstances 
no  difficulty  can  be  felt.  But  there  are  other  cases 
in  which  crimes  of  the  more  serious  nature  are 
stated  without  any  censure  annexed.  One  reason 
of  this  is,  that  the  subsequent  history,  by  exhibiting 
the  consequences  to  which  such  conduct  leads,  may 
be  viewed  as  implying  a  sufficient  condemnation  of 
it.  But  a  more  general  explanation  of  this  fact 
rests  upon  this  principle,  that  the  sacred  writer,  not 
assuming  the  character  of  a  moral  teacher,  not  even 
using  all  the  rights  of  an  historian  in  the  most  ex- 


216  UTILITY    OF    THE  SER.   19. 

tensive  sense  of  the  term,  often  contents  himself 
with  giving  a  simple  detail  of  facts,  forbearing  all 
comment.  Yet  even  that  detail  may  serve  for  our 
admonition  when  crimes  are  seen  to  be  punished  in 
this  world,  or  when  it  is  known  that  they  shall  meet 
retribution  in  another.  Generally  the  same  histo- 
rian who  records  a  crime,  has  occasion  subsequently 
to  note  its  punishment.  And  if,  in  any  instance, 
it  should  be  otherwise,  the  pious  mind  need  experi- 
ence no  doubt  that  God  rewards  the  just  and  pun- 
ishes the  wicked.  For  the  recompense  which  is 
deferred  even  beyond  the  limit  of  the  present  life, 
shall  nevertheless  assuredly  come,  "  Though  a  sin- 
ner do  evil  an  hundred  times,  and  his  days  be  pro- 
longed, yet  surely  I  know  that  it  shall  be  well  with 
them  that  fear  God,  which  fear  before  him." 

The  most  plausible  objection,  however,  which  is 
made  by  the  infidel,  is,  that  individuals,  celebrated 
in  holy  writ  for  their  eminent  piety,  are  also  de- 
scribed, in  some  instances,  as  falling  into  errors  and 
crimes  of  the  most  serious  kinds.  Are  not  such 
representations  as  these,  it  is  asked,  injurious  to  the 
cause  of  religion,  by  encouraging  those  who  profess 
it,  to  imitate  the  conduct  of  those  whose  general 
character  is  approved  while  particular  acts  which 
they  have  committed  have  been  greatly  censurable? 
We  believe  that  this  is  by  no  means  the  case.  Let 
it  be  considered,  in  the  first  place,  that  all  men, 
however  excellent  they  may  be,  have,  while  in  this 


SER.   19.  SCRIPTURE  HISTORIES.  217 

imperfect  state,  been  liable  to  error  and  sin.  This 
we  know  to  be  now  the  fact,  and  we  are  assured 
that  it  always  has  been  so.  That  the  Scriptures, 
therefore,  should  represent  ancient  believers  as  they 
actually  were,  is  no  impeachment  of  their  purity, 
while  it  affords  a  strong  proof  of  their  authenticity. 
Nor  are  such  representations  less  useful  to  us,  than 
if  they  contained  delineations  of  a  perfect  character. 
However  desirable  it  might  be  to  have  before  us, 
continually,  faultless  models,  there  is  reason  to 
believe  that  this  evil  would  be  felt.  Individuals  of 
undoubted  sincerity  and  general  excellence,  might, 
under  the  consciousness  of  their  deficiencies,  fall 
into  utter  despair,  if  the  character  of  the  good  man 
in  the  Scriptures,  were,  in  every  instance,  marked 
by  absolute  perfection.  But  when  they  are  assured 
that  the  infirmities  wrhich  themselves  experience 
have  been  common  to  the  pious  in  all  ages,  the 
doubts  which  they  might  be  disposed  to  entertain 
concerning  their  own  integrity,  are  removed.  And 
while  this  benefit  is  attained,  there  is  no  danger 
that  encouragement  will  be  given  to  transgression 
or  negligence  in  duty.  Such  an  event  is  not  to  be 
apprehended,  where  any  thing  of  true  piety  exists ; 
although  it  is  to  be  lamented,  that  wicked  men 
wrest  this,  as  they  do  other  portions  of  Scripture, 
to  their  own  ruin.  But  men,  who  in  the  main, 
have  been  eminent  for  their  piety,  and  who  have, 
in  a  special  manner,  partaken  of  the  divine  favor, 
28 


218  UTILITY  OF  THE  SER.   19. 

have,  in  some  instances,  fallen  into  transgression  of 
the  most  aggravated  kind.  And  here  jour  minds 
will  be  immediately  turned  to  the  king  and  poet 
and  prophet  of  Israel,  whom  the  Almighty  had 
chosen  to  rule  his  people,  who,  by  the  general 
course  of  his  conduct,  merited  the  character  origin- 
ally bestowed  upon  him,  of  being  a  man  after  God's 
heart,  but  who,  at  one  period,  sinned  more  deeply, 
perhaps,  than  any  one  who  was  so  highly  distin- 
guished, has  ever  done.  Now  that  an  individual, 
whose  precious  life  had  been  without  considerable 
blemish,  might  have  so  acted,  and  that  such  an  one 
might  afterwards  become  as  illustrious  for  piety  as 
he  had  been  before  his  transgression,  is  by  no 
means  incredible.  The  deplorable  corruption  of 
human  nature,  not  entirely  corrected  in  the  most 
holy  man  who  has  not  attained  the  inheritance  of 
immortality,  renders  a  fall  from  so  great  a  height  to 
such  a  depth,  a  thing  not  beyond  the  range  of  pos- 
sibility. Nor  does  the  justice  of  God  forbid  the 
restoration,  to  his  original  estate,  of  one  who  is 
deeply  and  sincerely  penitent.  "  An  humble  and 
contrite  heart  God  will  not  despise."  And  if  such 
an  event  might  have  occurred,  the  fact  of  it  being 
recorded,  furnishes  no  reason  for  impeaching  the 
purity  of  the  sacred  writings,  and  is,  in  truth,  a 
strong  corroboration  of  their  authenticity. 

Let  us  in  illustrating  this  matter,  bestow  some 
attention  on  the  representation  given  to  us,  both  of 


SER.   19.  SCRIPTURE  HISTORIES.  219 

the  character  of  the  action,  and  of  the  conse- 
quences by  which  it  was  attended.  And  first,  with 
respect  to  the  character  of  the  action.  It  is  repre- 
sented as  exceedingly  odious  to  the  Almighty. 
There  is  perhaps  in  no  language  a  parable  so 
beautiful  and  appropriate  as  that  by  which  the 
prophet  Nathan  exhibited  to  the  thoughtless  mon- 
arch the  enormity  of  his  offence.  Infatuated  still 
by  the  passion  which  had  so  fatally  led  him  astray, 
the  royal  offender  feels  not  the  application  of  the 
parable  to  himself,  but  is  inflamed  with  a  just 
indignation  against  the  rich  man,  who,  notwith- 
standing the  abundance  of  his  own  possessions, 
could  deprive  his  poor  neighbor  of  his  only,  and  his 
greatly  cherished  good*  But,  when  the  Prophet, 
armed  with  the  authority  of  Jehovah,  and  fearless 
of  the  wrath  of  man,  dared  to  admonish  the  pow- 
erful transgressor  that  for  him  the  parable  was 
intended,  conviction  is  immediately  produced  in  his 
mind,  which  was  followed  by  sincere  contrition, 
and  humble  confession. 

We  have  thus  seen  that  the  Almighty  is  not 
represented  as  viewing  with  any  allowance  the 
crime  of  one  so  long  and  so  highly  favored  by 
him.  Nor  was  it  without  its  bitter  consequences. 
Through  his  penitence  the  punishment  of  his  guilt 
was,  to  a  certain  extent,  remitted.  He  did  not  die 
immediately,  according  to  the  ordinance  of  the 
Jewish  law  in  reference  to  such  offences  as  that 


* 

220  UTILITY  OF  THE  SER.   19. 

* V      *  »|  »^^ 

which  he  had  committed.  His  transgression  was 
also  forgiven  so  far  as  the  eternal  consequences  of 
it  were  concerned.  But  it  became  the  source  of 
deep  and  lasting  affliction  to  him.  After  a  refer- 
ence to  the  great  favor  which  God  had  shown  to 
him,  who  had  now  proved  himself  so  utterly  un- 
worthy of  it,  the  Prophet  pronounced  the  divine 
sentence — "  The  sword  shall  never  depart  from  thy 
house,"  and,  "  Behold  I  will  raise  up  evil  against 
thee  out  of  thine  own  house."  Those  who  are  at 
all  acquainted  with  the  sacred  history,  will  perceive 
how  fully  this  sentence  took  effect ;  and  in  con- 
sidering his  numerous  domestic  troubles  and  tem- 
porary banishment  from  his  throne,  will  not  be 
tempted  to  envy  the  power  and  distinction  which 
were  associated  with  such  evils. 

These  remarks,  on  one  of  the  most  interesting 
characters  exhibited  in  holy  writ,  have  been  offered, 
because  his  melancholy  apostasy  has  been  made  the 
occasion  of  reproach  against  revealed  religion  ;  and 
because  it  was  necessary  to  show  that  the  Scrip- 
tures in  recording  the  errors  of  even  good  men, 
have  not  sanctioned  them  ;  and  that  the  record  of 
them  is  intended  for  the  admonition  of  succeeding 
ages. 

It  will  not  consist  with  the  limits  of  the  present 
exercise,  to  take  any  thing  like  a  general  view  of 
the  various  instruction  which  may  be  derived  from 


SER.   19.  SCRIPTURE  HISTORIES.  221 

the  record  of  the  divine  dispensations  which  is  con- 
tained in  the  Bible.  There  are  one  or  two  general 
truths  uniformly  inculcated,  to  which  we  may  make 
a  passing  reference. 

A  most  important  principle  established  by  the 
whole  tenor  of  the  scriptural  history  is,  "  that  sin  is 
an  object  of  the  divine  abhorrence,  and  will  invari- 
ably, unless  repented  of,  meet  its  just  recompense." 
It  is  only  necessary  to  remind  you  of  the  consequen- 
ces which  are  represented  as  ensuing  upon  man's  first 
disobedience  ;  of  the  destruction  of  the  world  in 
the  days  of  Noah  ;  of  the  sufferings  of  the  Israelites 
in  the  wilderness  ;  of  the  succeeding  calamities  of 
the  Jewish  people  ;  of  the  overthrow  and  ruin  of 
surrounding  nations  in  consequence  of  their  crimes. 
These,  with  other  events  in  which  individuals  were 
alone  concerned,  afford  the  most  striking  displays 
of  the  divine  justice,  and  are  well  calculated  to 
inspire  us  with  the  fear  of  God,  whose  holiness  is 
unspotted,  and  whose  judgment  upon  transgressors 
is  terrible.  But  not  only  are  the  details  of  sacred 
history  fitted  to  produce  in  us  awe  of  the  Almighty's 
power  and  justice  ;  they  furnish  to  those  who  are 
obedient  to  his  commandments,  the  strongest  reason 
for  exercising  trust  in  God.  One  instance  may 
suffice  in  the  room  of  many.  And  what  more  illus- 
trious example  may  we  cite  than  that  of  the  patri- 
arch Abraham.  We  may  observe  him,  at  the  divine 


222  UTILITY    OF    THE  SER.   19. 

command,  renouncing  home  and  kindred,  sojourning 
in  a  strange  land  ;  expecting  adversity,  but  never 
despairing  of  the  divine  goodness.  And  how  fully 
were  his  faith  and  obedience  rewarded.  Earthly 
prosperity  was  afforded  to  him  ;  he  became  the 
father  of  nations  ;  he  was  the  progenitor  of  Messiah, 
in  whom  all  the  families  of  the  earth  are  blessed. 
What  encouragement  do  such  examples  afford  to 
persevering  obedience,  and  unwavering  dependence 
on  the  divine  promises.  These  instances  of  re- 
warded piety  are  recorded  for  our  admonition,  as 
well  as  those  in  which  sin  has  met  its  punishment. 
Let  us,  then,  endeavor  to  make  all  Scripture  profit- 
able to  us  ;  while  we  reverently  attend  to  the  divine 
precepts,  and  gladly  embrace  the  divine  promises. 
Let  us  avail  ourselves  of  the  experience  of  others 
in  ordering  our  own  conduct  aright.  The  evils 
which  have  been  fatal  to  others,  let  us  avoid  ;  of 
the  good  which  they  may  have  done,  let  us  be  em- 
ulous. Let  us  be  instructed  that  one  instance  of 
transgression  only  leads  to  other  and  more  serious 
ones  ;  and  that  he  who  would  successfully  resist 
his  corrupt  propensities,  must  do  so  before  long 
indulgence  has  rendered  them  uncontrollable.  In 
fine,  let  us  propose  to  ourselves  the  most  excellent 
models  ;  imitating  the  pious,  where  their  conduct 
has  been  praiseworthy,  and  avoiding  the  errors  into 
which  they  have  fallen :  warned  by  their  example, 


SER.   19.  SCRIPTURE  HISTORIES.  223 

we  may  avoid  many  things  which  obstruct  our  sal- 
vation ;  encouraged  by  their  ultimate  success,  we 
shall  be  secured  against  desponding,  and  thus  be- 
come followers  of  those,  who,  by  faith  and  patience, 
inherit  the  promises. 


224 


SERMON    XX. 


ON  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION. 


COLOSSIANS    ii.    8. 

Beware  lest  any  man  spoil  you  through  philosophy  and  vain 
deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  after  the  rudiments  of 
the  world,  and  not  after  Christ. 

IN  order  to  the  attainment  of  a  correct  knowledge 
of  the  principles  of  Christianity,  it  is  important  to 
attend  to  the  mode  in  which  they  are  delivered  to 
us.  Whether  they  be  authoritatively  promulgated 
as  the  objects  of  our  belief,  or  whether  they  be  pre- 
sented as  subjects  of  rational  inquiry,  and  allowed 
to  rest  on  their  intrinsic  evidence,  is  a  question  of 
great  importance.  Upon  the  determination  of  this, 
will  very  much  depend  the  method  of  investigation 
which  we  pursue,  as  well  as  the  results  at  which 
we  shall  arrive.  For  there  are  two  modes  in  which 


SER.  20.       PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.  225 

some  degree  of  religious  knowledge  may  be  obtained. 
The  works  of  nature,  and  the  course  of  events  in 
the  world,  together  with  those  fundamental  laws  of 
human  belief,  the  influence  of  which  we  all  expe- 
rience, evince  the  being  of  God,  and  afford  some 
discoveries  of  his  perfections.  With  these  materials, 
reason  may  construct  a  system  of  belief.  But  from 
the  imperfection  of  these  materials,  and  the  limited 
powers  of  the  instrument  which  is  exercised  upon 
them,  there  will  exist  great  deficiencies  in  the  re- 
ligious knowledge  obtained.  There  will  be  many 
particulars  which  will  entirely  elude  our  investi- 
gation, while  there  are  others  which  we  apprehend 
very  erroneously.  To  enlarge  our  knowledge,  and 
correct  our  misapprehensions  on  the  important 
subject  of  religion,  is  the  province  of  revelation. 
In  its  very  nature,  it  involves  the  idea  of  supreme 
and  ultimate  authority  in  regard  to  the  subjects  of 
which  it  treats.  For  had  human  reason  been  ade- 
quate to  our  religious  instruction,  the  Almighty  had 
never  spoken  to  us  by  his  prophets  and  by  his  Son. 
When,  therefore,  he  makes  certain  disclosures  with 
regard  to  his  own  perfections  and  our  duties,  these 
are  not  exhibited  to  us  as  what  we  may  admit  or 
reject,  according  as  our  judgment  approves  or  con- 
demns them.  They  proceed  from  Him  in  whom 
the  fullness  of  knowledge  dwells,  and  whose  word 
is  a  sufficient  ground  of  most  implicit  reliance.  And 
we  are  utterly  amazed  at  the  folly  and  presumption 
29 


226  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.       SER.  20. 

of  men,  who,  with  the  admitted  fact  of  a  divine 
revelation,  venture  to  reject  some  of  its  discoveries 
as  false,  or  to  modify  some  of  its  principles  so  as  to 
accord  with  their  preconceived  opinions.  Numerous 
corruptions  of  Christianity  have  arisen  from  this 
disposition  to  bring  the  declarations  of  Jehovah 
before  the  tribunal  of  human  reason,  that  they  may 
be  affirmed  or  negatived.  And  until  this  arrogant 
spirit  is  subdued,  we  are  not  fitted  for  the  reception 
of  divine  truth.  Let  us  not,  however,  be  misun- 
derstood. It  is  not  designed  to  inculcate  a  slavish 
subjection  to  authority  ;  it  is  not  meant  that  we 
should  embrace  opinions  unsupported  by  good  evi- 
dence. Upon  the  principle  which  has  been  laid 
down,  our  religious  views  rest  on  the  surest  ground ; 
we  have  the  declaration  of  that  illustrious  Being 
who,  as  he  is  the  object  of  all  religious  worship,  and 
the  subject  of  all  religious  opinion,  is  also  the  source 
of  all  certain  religious  knowledge.  It  is  the  pre- 
rogative of  reason  to  determine  on  the  fact  of  a 
divine  revelation,  and  to  ascertain,  on  the  principles 
of  a  just  interpretation,  what  are  its  dictates  ;  but 
beyond  this,  it  is  not  permitted  to  go.  And  there  is 
the  greatest  propriety  in  the  apostolic  caution,  "  Be- 
ware lest  any  man  spoil  you  through  philosophy 
and  vain  deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  after  the 
rudiments  of  the  world,  and  not  after  Christ." 
It  shall  be  our  object,  first  to  ascertain  the  meaning 


SER.  20.       PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.  227 

of  the  terms  occurring  in  this  passage,  and  then  to 
illustrate  the  idea  which  they  convey. 

The  expression  "  spoil  you,"  is  literally  "  make  a 
prey  of  you,"  "  carry  you  away  captive,"  so  as  to 
deprive  you  of  the  liberty  which  as  Christians  you 
enjoy,  and  subject  you  again  to  the  bondage  of  ig- 
norance and  corruption.  The  instrument  to  be  used 
for  their  injury,  was  "  philosophy  and  vain  deceit." 
This  is  an  Hebrew  mode  of  expression,  equivalent 
to  "  a  vain  and  deceitful  philosophy."  It  refers 
to  the  speculations  of  the  Greek  sages  and  Jewish 
rabbies.  That  it  was  not  confined  to  the  views  of 
the  former,  is  apparent  from  the  testimony  of  Philo 
Judaeus,  and  of  Josephus.  Both  of  these  writers 
use  the  term  philosophy  in  reference  to  the  Mosaic 
institutions,  with  the  speculations  grounded  on  them. 
The  former  author  speaks  of  "  those  who  embrace 
the  philosophy  of  Moses  ;  "  and  the  latter  observes, 
"  there  are  three  systems  of  philosophy  among  the 
Jews,"  referring  to  the  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and 
Essenes.  This  philosophy,  to  which  St.  Paul 
refers,  is  described  as  vain  and  deceitful.  The 
systems  of  the  Greek  sages  exhibited  a  most  de- 
plorable deficiency  as  respects  the  knowledge  of 
God  ;  and  nothing  can  be  more  empty  than  the 
glosses  which  the  Jewish  doctors  put  upon  the 
system  of  truth  which  had  been  divinely  revealed  to 
them. 

The  principles  of  the  philosophy  here  condemned, 


228  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.       SER.  20. 

are  distinguished  as  being  according  to  the  "  tradi- 
tion of  men,"  as  resting  upon  their  unauthorized  as- 
sertion— "as  being  according  to  the  rudiments  of  the 
world,"  i.  e.,  grounded  upon  the  limited  discoveries 
of  the  old  dispensation,  or  the  imperfect  and  erro- 
neous views  of  unenlightened  reason — and  not  after 
Christ — not  conformed  to  the  perfect  knowledge 
which  he  has  given  of  the  divine  character,  and  our 
duty  and  prospects.  Thus  much  in  explication  of 
the  terms  of  the  passage  before  us.  The  idea  which 
they  convey  is,  that  serious  and  fatal  corruptions 
may  be  introduced  into  Christianity  by  an  admixture 
of  its  principles  with  those  of  philosophy — and  this 
is  the  principle  which  is  to  be  illustrated  on  the 
present  occasion. 

The  apostle  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  condemning 
a  just  philosophy,  which  is  conformed  to  truth. 
Between  this  and  genuine  Christianity  there  is  no 
inconsistency.  His  reference  is  to  those  erroneous 
speculations  which  are  honored  with  a  title  which 
they  do  not  deserve.  And  it  shall  be  my  present 
object  to  show,  that  these  have  always,  and  do  still 
exert  a  most  unfavorable  influence  on  the  religious 
belief  of  men.  There  were  doubtless  some  cor- 
ruptions in  faith  and  practice  introduced  by  this 
means  among  the  first  Christians.  This  may  be 
inferred  from  the  caution  given  in  the  text.  And  to 
these  corruptions  there  is  explicit  reference  in  a 
succeeding  part  of  the  same  chapter.  In  the  16th 


SER.  20.       PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.  229 

verse  there  is  this  admonition,  in  reference  to  a 
neglecting  of  the  body — "Let  no  man  therefore  judge 
you  in  meat,  or  in  drink."  And  again,  in  the  18th 
verse,  "  Let  no  man  beguile  you  of  your  reward 
in  a  voluntary  humility  and  worshipping  of  angels." 
There  are  here  two  superstitious  observances  alluded 
to :  the  practising  of  bodily  austerities,  and  the 
worship  of  angels.  With  regard  to  the  former,  we 
have  to  observe,  that  it  was  derived  from  the 
Essenes,  a  Jewish  sect  strongly  resembling  the 
Pythagoreans  among  the  Greeks.  Now,  although 
temperance  in  the  use  of  the  bounties  of  Providence, 
and  a  due  subjection  of  the  body  to  the  influence  of 
the  soul,  are  highly  commendable,  yet  we  may 
exceed  the*'  bounds  of  propriety.  And,  when  our 
abstinences  and  mortifications  are  thus  excessive, 
our  conduct  is  not  only  unreasonable  in  itself,  but 
opposed  to  the  designs  of  Providence.  The  evil  is 
moreover,  still  greater  when  these  bodily  austerities 
are  made  the  ground  of  a  hope  of  the  divine  favor, 
and  are  substituted  in  the  room  of  that  which  can 
alone  recommend  us  to  God. 

The  other  superstitious  observance  mentioned  by 
the  Apostle,  is  "  the  worship  of  angels."  That  this 
evil  arose  from  the  speculations  with  regard  to  these 
beings,  which  were  indulged  in  by  both  Jewish 
doctors  and  Grecian  sages,  cannot  be  controverted. 
Philo,  in  speaking  of  these  beings  observes,  "  they 
are  like  the  eyes  and  ears  of  some  great  king, 


230  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.       SER.  20. 

beholding  and  hearing  all  things.  These  the  phi- 
losophers call  demons,  but  the  Holy  Scriptures  call 
them  angels,  and  most  properly,  for  they  carry  the 
Father's  commands  to  the  children,  and  the  chil- 
dren's wants  to  the  Father.  Not  that  he  needs 
such  intelligence  who  beforehand  knows  all  things, 
but  because  it  is  more  expedient  for  us  mortals  to 
make  use  of  such  mediators,  that  we  may  more 
admire  and  reverence  the  Supreme  Governor." 
Very  similar  to  this  is  the  language  of  Plato. 
"  Every  demon  is  a  middle  being  between  God  and 
mortal  men."  "  God  is  not  approached  immediately 
by  man,  but  all  the  commerce  and  intercourse 
between  God  and  men  is  performed  by  the  medi- 
ation of  demons."  » 

It  was  in  conformity  with  these  views  that  the 
worship  of  angels  commenced — and  here  was  a 
remarkable  instance  of  the  corrupting  influence  of 
false  philosophy,  of  the  evil  consequences  of  de- 
parting from  the  purity  of  doctrine  taught  by  Jesus 
Christ  and  his  apostles. 

We  might  now  go  on  and  derive  a  farther  illus- 
tration of  this  truth,  by  considering  the  numer- 
ous errors  which  arose  in  the  primitive  church 
from  the  influence  of  the  oriental  philosophy. — 
And,  in  contemplating  the  various  shocking  opinions 
which  constituted  the  Gnostic  heresy  in  its  several 
modifications,  we  should  be  abundantly  satisfied 
with  regard  to  the  necessity  which  exists  of  deriving 


SER.  20.       PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.  231 

our  religious  sentiments  from  the  writings  of  those 
alone  who  were  under  the  guidance  of  an  infallible 
teacher. 

It  is  not  however,  necessary  to  trace  the  evil 
against  which  the  Apostle  warns  us,  through  all  the 
exhibitions  which  have  been  made  of  it.  It  may  be 
a  more  profitable  employment  to  consider  the  errors 
in  religion  which  arise  from  the  habits  of  philo- 
sophical speculation,  characteristic  of  the  age  in 
which  we  live. 

The  unfavorable  influence  which  has  been  thus 
exerted  upon  genuine  Christianity,  has  been  in  its 
operation  two-fold — there  has  arisen  a  certain  modi- 
fication of  its  doctrines — and  there  has  been  pro- 
duced a  spirit  adverse  to  its  reception  in  general. 
It  may  here  again  be  remarked,  that  truth  in  all  its 
forms  is  consistent — that  it  cannot  be  one  thing  in 
philosophy  and  another  in  religion — and  that  the 
intellectual  and  moral  science  which  is  conformed  to 
the  nature  of  things,  will  not  be  opposed  to  the 
principles  of  a  theology  which  God  has  revealed. 

And  yet,  it  has  been  too  common  to  term  him  a 
philosopher  who  thinks  with  presumption  or  skep- 
ticism on  the  subject  of  religion.  Under  the 
specious  pretext  of  free  inquiry  and  of  following 
truth  wherever  it  may  lead,  opinions  have  been 
embraced,  grateful  to  the  pride  or  indulgent  to  the 
corruptions  of  men.  The  Scriptures  have  been 
resorted  to  with  an  intention  of  wresting  them  into  a 


232  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.       SER.  20. 

conformity  with  preconceived  opinions,  or  they  have 
been  contemptuously  rejected,  or  they  have  been 
regarded  with  an  indifference,  which  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  convert  into  any  feeling  of  interest. 
The  first  and  last  mentioned  modes  of  proceeding 
are  those  which  are  ordinarily  adopted  by  the 
errorists  of  the  present  day.  There  are  not  many 
now  who  oppose  Christianity  with  virulence.  And, 
it  is  with  a  view  to  that  form  of  religious  belief 
which  arrogates  to  itself  the  exclusive  title  of 
"  rational"  that  we  address  to  you  the  admonition, 
"Beware  lest  any  man  spoil  you  through  philosophy 
and  vain  deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  after  the 
rudiments  of  the  world,  and  not  after  Christ." 

The  system  alluded  to  deserves  to  be  classed 
among  those  corruptions  of  the  faith  against  which 
the  words  of  inspiration  have  warned  us.  It  is 
most  emphatically  not  "according  to  Christ" — it  is 
grounded  on  the  "  tradition  of  men,"  and  conformed 
to  the  "  rudiments  of  the  world."  That  it  does  not 
harmonize  with  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  and  his 
Apostles  is  evident  from  one  fact — the  want  of 
respect  toward  their  writings  exhibited  by  these 
philosophical  Christians.  This  is  so  well  known, 
and  there  have  been  such  explicit  avowals  of  it,  that 
there  exists  no  necessity  of  spending  any  time  in 
demonstrating  the  fact.  So  completely  has  this 
state  of  things  been  superinduced,  that  the  advocate 
of  the  pure  faith  of  the  gospel  has  not  merely  to 


SER.  20.       PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.  233 

prove  the  fact  of  a  divine  revelation,  and  then 
triumphantly  to  cite  its  declarations  as  that  from 
which  there  exists  no  appeal — he  has  to  encounter 
another  class  of  opponents,  who,  while  admitting 
that  Christianity  is  a  system  revealed  from  heaven, 
entertain  most  degrading  views  of  the  qualifications 
of  those  who  were  appointed  to  disclose  it.  The 
question  has  been — were  the  writers  of  the  New 
Testament  inspired,  and  are  their  declarations  con- 
clusive, in  regard  to  what  is  to  be  believed  or 
practised ;  or  shall  we  regard  them  as  honest, 
though  fallible  teachers,  whose  conclusions  possess 
no  authority  other  than  what  is  derived  from  the 
strength  of  the  reasoning  on  which  they  are  founded? 
There  are  those  who  adopt  the  latter  solution  of  this 
question,  and  who,  therefore,  while  fully  admitting 
the  facts  of  the  gospel  narrative,  claim  the  right  of 
approving  or  condemning  the  doctrinal  sentiments 
contained  in  the  sacred  writings.  This  is  the  only 
method  by  which  their  peculiar  tenets  can  be  sup- 
ported, for  the  attempts  made  to  prove  them  con- 
sistent with  the  opinions  of  the  Apostles,  have  been 
totally  unavailing.  This  is  not  a  time  when  the 
insufficient  grounds  on  which  this  hypothesis  rests, 
can  be  exposed  fully.  And  yet,  the  consideration 
of  one  general  characteristic  of  the  writings  of  the 
New  Testament,  seems  sufficiently  strong  to  over- 
throw it.  The  characteristic  alluded  to  is  this.  The 
apostles  do  not  ordinarily  state  their  views  in  the 
30 


234  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.       SER.  20. 

way  of  reasoning — they  are  delivered  as  authori- 
tative declarations,  which  claim  the  submission  of 
our  minds  to  them,  not  on  account  of  the  conviction 
which  attends  rational  demonstration,  but  on  account 
of  a  belief  in  the  testimony  of  those  to  whose 
veracity  God  has  given  full  confirmation.  And, 
although  there  can  be  nothing  derogatory  to  us  in 
this  mode  of  receiving  our  religious  knowledge — and 
although  such  a  vast  proportion  of  it  is  necessarily  a 
matter  of  faith,  yet  there  is  advanced  by  many,  the 
absurd  and  arrogant  pretension,  that  their  opinions 
must  always  exclusively  rest  on  the  evidence  of 
reason.  They  accordingly  form  a  system  after  the 
"tradition  of  men"  and  the  rudiments  of  the  world. 
This  phraseology  accurately  expresses  their  religious 
knowledge,  both  in  its  source,  and  with  regard  to  its 
extent.  Its  source  is  not  God,  in  whom  all  the 
fullness  of  wisdom  dwells — but  exists  in  the  un- 
certain reasonings  of  men,  who,  refusing  to  submit 
their  minds  to  the  authority  of  revelation,  with 
overweening  vanity  advocate  their  own  dogmas — 
and  as  their  knowledge  is  derived  from  an  insuf- 
ficient source,  so  is  it  in  its  nature  exceedingly 
imperfect.  And,  so  far  as  it  possesses  the  character 
of  truth,  it  consists  merely  of  those  elementary 
principles  of  religion  which  are  diffused  in  the 
world,  which  are  the  remains  of  an  original  reve- 
lation to  the  first  men,  or  which  have  been  attained 
to  by  the  exercise  of  our  own  understanding. 


SER.  20.       PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.  235 

It  is  then  folly  to  substitute  these  beggarly 
elements  in  the  room  of  the  full  and  accurate 
information  contained  in  holy  Scripture — it  is  worse 
than  folly,  for  there  is  involved  in  this  conduct  a 
criminal  disregard  to  the  teachings  of  eternal 
wisdom — and  we  earnestly  exhort  you  to  beware 
how  any  one  thus  carries  you  captive,  inducing  you 
to  embrace  opinions  which  are  not  "  after  Christ." 

But  we  have  observed,  that  not  only  has  a  certain 
modification  of  religious  opinion  arisen,  from  the 
influence  of  the  particular  mode  of  philosophizing  in 
which  many  have  indulged,  but  that  there  has  also 
been  produced  a  feeling  exceedingly  unfavorable  to 
the  reception  of  Christianity  in  general — a  feeling  of 
total  indifference  in  regard  to  it.  A  stronger  ob- 
stacle than  this  to  embracing  the  truth,  cannot  well 
be  imagined.  The  most  virulent  opposer  of  our 
faith  experiences  an  interest  in  the  controversy — he 
earnestly  proposes  his  objections,  and  if  they  can  be 
shown  to  be  insufficient,  we  hope  that  conviction 
may  be  produced  in  his  mind.  But,  how  can  we 
anticipate  this  result  with  regard  to  him  who  thinks 
so  little  of  religion  as  not  even  to  form  an  objection 
to  it — who  deems  it  of  so  little  consequence  whether 
Christianity  be  true  or  false,  as  to  be  entirely  indif- 
ferent whether  the  sentiments  of  others  are  con- 
formed to  his  own  or  not. 

Beware  then,  lest  this  feeling  so  unfavorable  to  all 
that  is  true  in  principle  and  good  in  practice,  obtain 


236  PHILOSOPHIZING  IN  RELIGION.       SER.  20. 

an  admission  into  jour  hearts — remember  that  he 
who  opposes  the  truth  is  not  so  far  removed  from 
the  acknowledgment  of  it,  as  he  who  is  utterly 
indifferent  in  relation  to  it.  And,  while  you  are 
strongly  impressed  with  the  vast  importance  of 
correctly  understanding  the  divine  will,  be  careful  to 
resort  for  information  to  the  oracles  of  God,  where 
alone  truth  may  be  found  without  any  admixture 
of  error  ;  which  contains  discoveries  indispensable 
to  our  happiness,  that  could  never  have  been  made 
by  the  soundest  philosophy,  and  much  less  by  that 
which  is  justly  described  as  empty  and  deceitful. 


237 


SERMON    XXI. 


THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH. 


REVELATION    1.    10. 

/  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day. 

IN  choosing  this  passage  for  our  present  consid- 
eration, it  is  not  intended  to  direct  your  attention 
to  the  character  and  history  of  the  writer,  or  to  the 
very  remarkable  visions  which  were  afforded  to 
him  while  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
prophecy.  It  is  chosen  as  the  groundwork  of  the 
observations  which  are  to  be  made,  simply  as  con- 
veying the  information,  that  in  the  time  of  the 
Apostles  there  was  a  day  held  in  peculiar  regard, 
and  designated  as  the  Lord's  day.  Having  it  in 
view  to  establish  the  authority  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  and  designing  principally  to  rest  the  argu- 
ment on  the  language  aud  usages  of  inspired  men 


238  THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  SER.  21. 

under  the  dispensation  of  the  gospel,  no  more 
appropriate  passage  of  holy  writ  could  have  been 
selected  than  the  one  which  has  been  read  to  you. 
A  considerable  time  has  elapsed  since  this  subject 
was  on  a  former  occasion  brought  under  your  view. 
It  is  necessary,  however,  that  one  so  important  should 
be  again  and  again  referred  to.  Yet  it  is  our  object 
at  present,  to  give  only  a  general  statement  of  the 
argument  then  proposed,  and  to  dwell  principally 
upon  some  auxiliary  considerations.  In  enforcing 
the  precept,  "  remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep 
it  holy,"  it  was  urged  that  this  precept  being  given 
to  our  first  parents,  was  not  to  be  viewed  as  of 
limited  or  temporary,  but  as  of  universal  and  per- 
manent authority.  In  reply  to  the  objection  that 
the  passage  occurring  in  Genesis,  was  inserted  by 
way  of  anticipation  and  in  reference  to  the  institu- 
tion of  the  Sabbath  in  the  wilderness,  it  was  insisted 
that  ours  was  by  far  the  most  obvious  interpretation 
of  that  passage.  It  was,  moreover,  urged  that  the 
sacred  historian's  omission  to  mention  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath  during  the  patriarchal  ages, 
was  not  conclusive  against  the  fact  of  such  ob- 
servance, inasmuch  as  a  similar  omission  marks  the 
record  of  many  ages  subsequent  to  the  undoubted 
establishment  of  the  institution  in  question.  In 
farther  proof  of  the  universal  and  permanent  obli- 
gation to  keep  holy  the  Sabbath  day,  it  was  re- 
marked, that  the  injunction  to  do  so  constituted  a 


SER.  21.          OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH.  239 

particular  part  of  the  decalogue,  of  that  moral  code 
which  was  given  to  the  Israelites,  and  which  was 
designed  to  retain  its  authority  when  their  political 
and  ceremonial  ordinances  were  to  vanish  away. 
To  render  the  reasoning  referred  to  applicable  to 
the  first  day  of  the  week  which  we  religiously  ob- 
serve, a  discrimination  took  place  between  what  was 
of  moral  obligation  and  what  was  of  positive  insti- 
tution in  the  fourth  commandment.  It  was  stated 
that  the  separation  of  a  fixed  portion  of  time  for  the 
worship  of  God  was  of  moral  obligation — the  pre- 
cise day  so  separated  was  of  positive  institution,  and 
might  consequently  be  varied  ;  and  it  was  attempted 
to  be  shown,  that  a  change  from  the  seventh  to  the 
first  day  of  the  week  rested  on  the  authority  of  him 
who  was  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  day.  This  consid- 
eration, which  was  at  that  time  viewed  as  a  sub- 
sidiary one,  will,  on  the  present  occasion,  be  prin- 
cipally rested  upon  ;  and  the  duty  of  keeping  holy 
a  Sabbath  day  be  enforced  from  the  Scriptures  of 
the  New  Testament,  and  from  the  reason  of  the 
thing. 

In  entering  upon  this  discussion,  it  is  admitted 
that  neither  our  Lord  nor  his  Apostles  have  left  any 
precepts  upon  the  subject.  But  in  the  absence  of 
such  precepts,  may  not  some  other  indication  of 
the  divine  will  be  afforded  ?  There  may,  certainly. 
And  it  is  believed  that  this  indication  exists  in  the 
practice  of  those  inspired  men  to  whom  the  Saviour 


240  THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  SER.  21. 

committed  the  office  of  proclaiming  to  all  nations 
the  faith  of  the  gospel.  It  is,  then,  a  well  estab- 
lished fact,  that  at  the  very  time  of  the  first  propa- 
gation of  Christianity,  a  particular  day  was  had  in 
special  respect  by  the  Apostles,  and  that  this  was 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  Several  manifestations 
of  the  risen  Saviour  to  his  disciples  were  made  on 
this  day.  In  John  xx.  19,  it  is  said,  "Then  the  same 
day  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
when  the  doors  were  shut  where  the  disciples  were 
assembled  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus  and 
stood  in  the  midst  of  them."  In  the  26th  verse  of 
the  same  chapter  we  read  that,  "  after  eight  days," 
i.  e.  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  following,  "  again 
his  disciples  were  within."  In  the  20th  chap,  of  the 
Acts  there  is  a  record  of  a  similar  custom  existing 
in  a  Christian  church  quite  remote  from  Jerusalem. 
"  And  we  came  to  them  at  Troas  in  five  days  where 
we  abode  seven  days  :  and  upon  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  when  the  disciples  came  together  to  break 
bread,  Paul  preached  unto  them."  Again  St.  Paul 
writes  to  the  Corinthians,  "  Concerning  the  collec- 
tion for  the  saints,  as  I  have  given  order  to  the 
churches  of  Galatia,  so  do  ye  :  upon  the  first  day  of 
the  week  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store 
as  God  hath  prospered  him,  that  there  be  no  gath- 
erings when  I  come."  All  these  passages  seem  con- 
clusive as  to  the  fact  that  there  was,  in  apostolical 
times,  a  particular  day  devoted  to  religious  services. 


SER.  21.         OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH.  241 

The  one  last  cited  appears  to  be  exceedingly  une- 
quivocal. It  does  not  merely  speak  of  a  charitable 
appropriation  to  be  made  at  one  time,  but  at  stated 
intervals  upon  similar  seasons,  and  those  seasons 
always  the  first  day  of  the  week.  Add  to  all  these 
instances  the  designation  of  Lord's  day,  occurring  in 
the  text,  and  our  minds  may  be  satisfied.  And  if 
it  be  objected  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  St. 
John  meant  the  first  day  of  the  week,  we  reply  that 
there  is  no  conceivable  reason  why  any  other  day 
should  be  so  described,  while  the  appellation  might 
very  properly  be  bestowed  upon  that  upon  which 
the  religious  services  of  the  first  Christians  were 
admitted  to  have  been  always  performed.  Taking 
into  view,  then,  what  we  know  to  have  been  the 
usage  of  the  church  in  its  purest  age,  when  it  is 
apparent  that  there  could  not  have  been  any  unau- 
thorized practice  introduced,  we  may  conclude  that 
the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  rested  upon  some 
precept  of  the  Saviour,  conveyed  through  the 
Apostles,  although  such  precepts  be  not  now  re- 
maining. That  the  observance  of  the  Jewish  Sab- 
bath gradually  ceased,  and  that  the  custom  was 
silently  introduced  of  separating  for  religious  pur- 
poses the  first  day  of  the  week,  is  an  historical  fact 
in  reference  to  the  Christian  community  ;  and  that 
a  change  was  effected  in  this  particular  manner, 
is  to  be  referred  to  the  divine  condescension  to 
human  infirmity,  which  is  with  difficulty  induced  to 
31 


242  THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  SER.  21. 

abandon  ancient  and  long  cherished  usages.  The 
inquiry,  why  the  day  on  which  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath is  now  observed,  was  selected  rather  than  any 
other,  may  deserve  a  passing  notice.  That  it  was 
the  day  of  our  Saviour's  resurrection  is  the  reason 
always  assigned,  and  it  is  believed  justly.  It  is 
true  that  we  do  not  find  this  reason  expressly 
stated  in  Scripture,  but  it  seems  to  rest  upon  neces- 
sary implication.  The  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  most  extraordinary  event  recorded  in  the  New 
Testament,  and  the  one  which  incontestably  estab- 
lishes the  authority  of  our  religion,  took  place  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  We  find  that  this  day 
immediately  became  an  object  of  special  regard 
among  Christians.  Viewing  these  two  facts  in  con- 
nection, it  does  not  appear  necessary  that  we  should 
in  so  many  words  be  told  that  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath was  established  in  commemoration  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  Saviour. 

A  well  known  writer,  whose  services  in  the  sup- 
port of  revealed  religion  entitle  him  to  very  great 
respect,  after  taking  the  view  of  the  subject  which 
has  now  been  presented  to  you,  has  nevertheless 
admitted  that  the  considerations  alleged  go  no  far- 
ther than  to  establish  the  obligation  publicly  to 
worship  God  at  stated  intervals,  without  determin- 
ing the  fact  whether  the  day  upon  which  that 
worship  falls  should  be  wholly  or  only  partially 
sanctified  to  religious  purposes. 


SER.  21.          OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH.  243 

In  this  conclusion,  we  cannot  concur.  In  stating 
the  grounds  of  our  dissent,  we  shall,  for  the  time, 
admit  that  the  precept  of  the  decalogue  is  not  bind- 
ing upon  Christians,  jet  comparing  it  with  an  insti- 
tution undoubtedly  belonging  to  the  gospel,  we 
believe  that  the  arguments  from  analogy  will  estab- 
lish the  principle  that  not  a  part,  but  the  whole  of 
a  day  should  be  entirely  employed  in  devotional 
offices  and  acts  of  piety.  If  the  day  which  we  re- 
gard were  substantially  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  with 
the  exception  of  a  variation  in  respect  to  the  time 
of  its  occurrence,  there  could  exist  no  doubt  with 
respect  to  the  propriety  of  a  similar  observance  in 
both  instances.  Although  it  is  believed  that  such 
is  truly  the  case,  yet,  for  the  present,  this  principle 
will  not  be  insisted  on.  We  may  then  only  state, 
that  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  day  is  a  similar 
one  to  the  sabbatical  institution  existing;  under  the 

o 

Jewish  economy.  With  regard  to  the  analogy  ob- 
servable between  them,  there  appears  no  reasonable 
doubt.  Both  are  alike  seasons  for  religious  wor- 
ship— both  occur  after  the  same  interval,  and  both 
rest  upon  divine  authority — the  one  supported  by 
scriptural  precept,  the  other  enforced  by  scriptural 
usage.  Now  where  these  points  of  conformity 
exist,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  resem- 
blance is  entire,  excepting  in  those  instances  where 
there  is  express  evidence  to  the  contrary.  We  are 
not,  for  example,  to  believe  that  similar  penalties 


244  THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  SER.  21. 

should  attend  the  violation  of  the  Christian,  as  did 
the  violation  of  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  In  the 
politico-religious  system,  of  which  the  latter  con- 
stituted a  part,  the  Almighty,  to  the  prerogatives  of 
Deity  added  the  attributes  of  a  temporal  sovereign. 
Earthly  rewards  and  punishments  enforced  obe- 
dience to  the  laws  then  promulgated.  But  in  refer- 
ence to  ourselves,  who  are  placed  under  the  general 
administration  of  Providence,  transgressions  which 
simply  refer  to  the  Almighty,  must  meet  their 
recompense  in  another  world.  Even  then  if  the 
precept  given  to  the  Hebrews  be  not  in  strictness 
of  speech  applicable  to  ourselves,  it  seems  reasona- 
ble that  the  respect  paid  to  the  Lord's  day  should, 
in  its  general  characteristics,  resemble  that  which 
they  paid  to  their  day  of  sacred  rest. 

But  in  addition  to  the  consideration  which  we 
have  been  urging,  there  is  another  which  should 
very  considerably  influence  our  opinions  and  prac- 
tice. It  is  not  well  to  blend  together  sacred  and 
secular  employments.  It  is  not  denied  that  the 
spirit  of  devotion  and  its  more  common  exercises 
should  be  in  a  manner  incorporated  with  our  ordi- 
nary avocations.  But  it  is  meant  that  the  more 
solemn  exercises  of  religion  should  have  assigned 
to  them  some  period  in  which  they  may  be  exclu- 
sively attended  to.  The  public  worship  of  God, 
and  an  attendance  on  the  ministry  of  the  gospel, 
when  the  most  awful  truths  are  delivered — truths 


SER.  21.          OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH.  245 

too,  essential  to  our  salvation,  should  be  preceded 
by  some  preparation,  and  attended  by  recollection 
and  meditation.  It  cannot  be  advantageous  to  pass 
suddenly  from  the  cares  and  business  of  life,  to  the 
deliberate  consideration  of  our  eternal  interests.  It 
is  important  that  the  mind  should  attain  a  state  of 
composure  before  it  is  fitted  to  receive  all  the 
benefit  which  may  be  derived  from  an  attendance 
on  the  ministry  of  salvation.  In  order  to  this,  it  is 
not  sufficient  that  a  few  hours  should  be  taken  from 
a  day  of  bustle  arid  perplexity.  The  tranquillity  of 
the  Sabbath  morn,  with  the  reflections  appropriate 
to  it,  should  prepare  for  the  solemnities  of  the  house 
of  God.  And  when  these  are  terminated,  it  is  im- 
portant that  the  truths  delivered — the  duties  en- 
joined— the  promises  unfolded,  should  be  again 
recalled  to  our  recollection,  lest  by  a  sudden  return 
to  our  worldly  avocations  those  impressions  may  be 
effaced  which  might  forcibly  and  permanently  in- 
fluence our  destiny. 

Having  made  these  general  remarks,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  dwell  on  the  degree  and  kind  of  respect 
which  should  be  paid  to  this  sacred  season.  It  will 
at  once  be  understood  that  there  should  be  a  sus- 
pension of  the  ordinary  business  of  life  ;  whether 
that  business  consist  of  corporeal  labor,  or  only 
require  intellectual  exertion.  The  hands  may  as 
well  be  used  in  our  worldly  employments,  as  our 
thoughts  totally  occupied  with  them.  The  one  is 


246  THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  SER.  21. 

as  great  a  violation  of  the  Lord's  day,  and  as  great 
an  obstruction  to  our  religious  improvement,  as  the 
other. 

In  the  next  place,  the  suspension  of  labor  should 
not  make  way  for  vicious  indulgences,  or  even  for 
amusements  which,  at  other  times,  are  entirely  in- 
nocent. This  day  is  not  one  to  be  devoted  to  the 
pursuit  of  pleasure,  neither  are  worldly  gratifications 
in  any  way  to  interfere  with  an  attention  to  higher 
objects — the  worship  of  God,  and  the  cultivation  of 
religious  sentiments  in  our  hearts.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary that  the  Sabbath  should  be  shrouded  in  gloom ; 
but  it  should  be  a  season  of  seriousness,  of  thought- 
fulness,  of  special  attention  to  the  offices  of  piety. 
It  would  require  much  time  to  enumerate  all  that 
we  should  do,  or  omit  to  do.  It  is  better  to  give  a 
general  rule,  and  leave  with  your  consciences  the 
application  of  it.  Let  it  then  be  remembered,  that 
it  is  a  day  appropriated  to  religious  purposes.  Six 
days  are  allowed  for  the  promotion  of  our  temporal 
interests  ;  one  is  to  be  devoted  to  the  advancement 
of  our  eternal  well-being.  So  far,  then,  as  human 
infirmity  will  permit ;  so  far  as  our  own  necessities 
and  the  duties  of  benevolence  toward  others  do  not 
interfere,  we  should  render  every  engagement  into 
which  at  such  times  we  enter,  subservient  to  the 
security  of  our  own  salvation. 

It  only  remains  that  some  observations  be  made 
on  the  importance  and  necessity  of  the  sabbatical 


SER.  21.          OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH.  247 

institution.  It  is  a  dictate  of  reason,  as  well  as  of 
revelation,  that  God  should  be  worshipped  publicly, 
as  well  as  reverenced  in  our  bosoms.  It  is  indis- 
pensable that  some  season  be  appropriated  to  this 
use  ;  and  it  is  very  important  that  this  season  be 
uniformly  observed,  and  occur  at  fixed  and  known 
intervals.  Were  it  otherwise,  suitable  preparatory 
arrangements  could  not  be  made,  and  much  con- 
fusion and  interference  would  take  place  between 
one  man's  business  and  another's  devotions.  As  it 
is,  however,  the  aspect  in  which  the  Sabbath  is 
presented  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  one  ;  it  is  a 
day  of  quiet,  of  peace,  of  general  worship.  And 
how  necessary  is  such  an  establishment,  almost  to 
the  very  existence  of  religion  in  the  world  !  Not 
that  the  relation  between  the  Creator  and  the 
creature  is  not  eternal  and  immutable  ;  not  that  the 
dictates  of  reason  and  conscience  will  not  always 
enforce  the  subserviency  of  the  latter  to  the  former : 
but  so  absorbing  is  worldly  business  ;  so  fascinating 
is  worldly  pleasure  ;  and  so  blind  and  impetuous 
are  human  passions,  that  unless  there  were  some- 
thing to  call  our  attention  occasionally  to  higher 
objects,  there  is  great  reason  to  believe  that  these 
objects  would  be  utterly  and  fatally  neglected. 
Let  us,  then,  remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it 
holy.  It  is  an  institution  wise,  beneficent,  profit- 
able to  us.  Let  us  endeavor  to  avail  ourselves  to 


248  CHRISTIAN  SABBATH.  SER.  21. 

the  utmost  of  its  advantages  ;  let  us  value  and  im- 
prove the  earthly  rest  which  is  given  to  us,  and  we 
may  thus  be  prepared  for  that  more  glorious  and 
heavenly  rest  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of 
God. 


249 


SERMON    XXII. 


IMPORTANCE    OF    EARLY    PIETY. 

Preached  on  the  Sabbath  preceding  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  supper. 

•."••'•:    ':,••! ••.    r'ifJt  i     '   •»•••• 


ECCLESIASTES  XH.    1. 

Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  while 
the  evil  days  come  not,  nor  the  years  draw  nigh,  when  thou 
shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them. 

AMONG  those  who  ordinarily  appear  in  this  as- 
sembly, none  more  strongly  interest  our  feelings,  or 
appear  to  have  higher  claims  to  the  attention  of 
Christian  ministers,  than  they  of  youthful  age. 
There  is,  in  many  instances,  a  loveliness  about 
them  which  wins  our  affections — a  simplicity  and 
openness  of  character  which  commands  our  confi- 
dence, and  withal,  a  liability  to  err  from  thought- 
lessness which  excites  our  pity.  It  is  therefore 
a  painful  spectacle  to  behold  them  increasing  not  in 
the  pure  wisdom  which  is  from  above,  but  in  the 
knowledge  of  evil ; — not  attaining  greater  purity  of 
32 


250  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.         SER.  22. 

character,  but  becoming  more  corrupted  ; — not  con- 
sidering the  destination  which  God  has  assigned  to 
them,  bat  living  solely  for  pleasure  ; — not  preparing 
by  the  attainment  of  true  piety  for  everlasting 
felicity,  but  treasuring  up  for  themselves  awful  con- 
demnation. 

But  our  regret  springs  not  solely  from  a  view 
of  the  ruin  in  which  they  are  involving  themselves. 
We  regard  them  as  destined  to  exert  a  powerful 
influence  on  the  next  age.  They  will  either  by  the 
experience  of  religion,  become  qualified  to  uphold 
the  interests  of  truth  and  piety  when  their  fathers 
have  gone  to  their  rest — they  will  afford  to  another 
generation  a  religious  example  arid  pious  admoni- 
tion, or,  by  a  continuance  in  irreligion,  they  will 
dishonor  God,  oppose  the  prevalence  of  Christian 
feelings  and  principles,  and  diffuse  widely  the  con- 
tagion of  thoughtlessness,  infidelity,  or  vice. 

We  therefore,  with  great  attention,  consider  the 
indications  of  character  afforded  by  the  rising  gen- 
eration. We  feel  a  strong  desire  to  be  instrumental 
in  forming  them  to  piety  ;  and  in  addition  to  the 
general  counsels  which  refer  alike  to  all,  we  would 
occasionally  address  to  them  some  special  con- 
siderations. For  this,  there  exists  a  necessity. 
We  have  the  example  of  the  inspired  preacher ; 
and  his  solemn  admonition  shall  be  enforced  upon 
you  at  this  time,  "  Remember  now  thy  Creator 
in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  while  the  evil  days  come 


SER.  22.          IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.  251 

not,  nor  the  years  draw  nigh,  when  thou  shalt  say, 
I  have  no  pleasure  in  them." 

I  would  observe  in  the  first  place,  that  in  refer- 
ence to  youth,  this  admonition  is  peculiarly  impor- 
tant. The  reasons  which  render  it  so,  are  suggested 
by  the  royal  preacher  in  a  passage  which  goes  before, 
and  is  intimately  connected  with  the  text.  I  shall 
cite  this  in  a  version  differing  somewhat  in  expres- 
sion from  the  received  one.  "  Rejoice  young  man 
in  thy  youth,  and  let  thy  heart  do  thee  good  in  the 
prime  of  thy  days,  and  walk  in  the  ways  of  thine 
heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes  :  but  be  aware 
that  on  account  of  all  this,  God  will  bring  thee  into 
judgment." 

There  are  circumstances  connected  with  the 
season  of  youth,  which,  it  would  seem,  tend  to  in- 
duce the  cultivation  of  piety.  Unpracticed  in  the 
€vil  ways  of  the  world — unformed  in  transgression, 
and  of  strong  sensibilities,  it  is  to  be  expected 
that  they  would  be  very  susceptible  of  religious  im- 
pressions. There  are  indeed  advantages  possessed 
by  us  at  this  period  ;  but  there  are  other  influences 
operating,  which  are  of  a  different  character. 
One  of  the  most  dangerous  misapprehensions  of 
the  young,  in  which  they  are  exceedingly  prone  to 
indulge,  is  that  their  concern  is  not  with  death,  but 
with  life — with  the  pageantries  and  pleasures  of 
this  world,  and  not  with  the  serious  concerns  con- 
nected with  another  state  of  existence.  They 


252  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.          SER.  22. 

have  moreover  a  strong  relish  for  every  kind  of 
enjoyment,  which  induces  a  reluctance  to  submit  to 
the  restraints  of  religion.  Thus  are  they  prone  to 
rejoice  in  the  activity  and  vigor  of  body,  and  the 
buoyancy  of  spirits  incident  to  youth  ;  "  their 
hearts  do  them  good;"  they  inwardly  bless  them- 
selves with  the  hope  of  length  of  days  and  abundant 
enjoyment;  "they  walk  in  the  ways  of  their  hearts 
and  in  the  sight  of  their  eyes,"  obeying  the  strong 
impulse  to  pleasure ; — they  indulge  in  extreme 
licentiousness  of  manners,  or  in  the  contempt  or 
neglect  of  religious  duty,  or  in  an  entire  devotion  to 
those  gratifications  which  unfit  for  the  serious  and  all 
important  duties  of  life.  Such  is  the  result  of  our  own 
observation,  which  accords  with  the  representations 
of  the  preacher  in  the  context.  To  this  unlimited 
indulgence  in  thoughtlessness,  worldly  pleasure, 
and  every  criminal  excess,  using  a  species  of  grave 
irony,  he  exhorts  the  young ;  but  immediately  an- 
nexes the  solemn  caution,  "  but  be  thou  aware  that 
for  all  these  things  God  will  bring  thee  into  judg- 
ment." Ever  bear  in  your  minds  this  awful  truth, 
and  then,  if  you  can,  give  a  loose  to  your  passions 
and  gratify  every  desire.  And  with  perfect  security 
might  he  give  this  indulgence  with  its  accompanying 
condition.  For  to  have  a  vivid  apprehension  of  a 
judgment  surely  approaching  and  to  persevere  in 
transgression  is  impossible.  Well,  then,  might  the 
inspired  writer  go  on  to  say,  "  Remember,  there- 


SER.  22.          IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.  253 

fore,  thy  Creator."  For  thus  should  the  text  be 
read  as  an  inference  from  something  previously 
suggested. 

I.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  inquire  what  is  implied 
in  "  remembering  our  Creator,"  and 

II.  To  show  why  it  is  peculiarly  incumbent  on 
us  to  attend  to  this  duty  at  the   time  mentioned  in 
the  passage  under  view. 

I.  In  explication  of  the  injunction,  very  little  is 
necessary.  It  is,  however,  to  be  understood,  that 
the  Preacher  does  not  refer  to  the  cherishing  in  our 
minds  a  general  idea  of  God's  existence  and  rela- 
tion to  us,  but  to  a  serious  regard  to  the  considera- 
tions connected  with  these  facts.  In  the  first  place, 
we  are  to  remember,  God  is  a  being  deserving  our 
highest  regard  arid  entire  obedience.  He  is  the 
greatest,  the  best,  the  wisest  of  all  existences ; 
from  him,  indeed,  they  are  all  derived,  and  we 
ought  to  admire,  and  reverence,  and  praise  him. 
He  is,  moreover,  our  Creator,  who  is  continually 
engaged  in  upholding  and  blessing  us,  and  can  we 
withhold  from  him  our  love,  gratitude,  and  obedi- 
ence ? 

But  we  are,  in  the  second  place,  to  remember 
God  as  not  merely  deserving,  but  as  requiring,  this 
supreme  devotion,  and  as  enforcing  his  requisition 
by  the  most  powerful  sanctions. 

His  glory  he  will  not  give  to  another.  He  re- 
quires us  to  love  him  with  all  our  hearts.  His 


254  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.          SER.  22. 

indignation  will  be  poured  out  upon  those  who  call 
not  on  his  name.  Those  who  do  not  acknowledge 
him  and  obey  not  his  gospel,  will  experience  tribu- 
lation and  anguish.  For  he  hath  appointed  a  day 
in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness. 
He  will  bring  every  secret  thing  into  judgment. 

Taking  these  solemn  considerations  into  view,  it 
must  be  regarded  as  excessive  folly — it  is  destroying 
our  own  happiness  to  neglect  our  duties  to  God. 
We  must  therefore  be  convinced  of  the  necessity  of 
possessing  true  piety. 

The  exhortation  of  the  text  then  is,  remember 
your  Creator,  in  order  that  you  may  love  and  obey 
him  ;  and  seek  your  happiness  in  his  favor. 

II.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  inquire  why  it  is  so 
incumbent  on  us  to  regard  this  admonition  at  the 
time  specified. 

There  are  two  periods  of  human  life  referred  to 
in  the  passage  we  are  considering.  There  is  the 
season  of  youth,  and  there  is  another  period  which 
is  designated  as  "  evil  days"  and  as  "years  in  which 
we  have  no  pleasure."  These  are  remarkably  op- 
posed to  each  other,  and  are  distinguished  as  fur- 
nishing very  different  facilities  for  the  performance 
of  religious  duty. 

Youth  is  the  period  when  mere  existence  is  hap- 
piness— when  the  feelings  are  easily  interested,  and 
pleasure  may  be  derived  from  innumerable  sources — 
when,  comparatively  speaking,  habits  are  yet  un- 


SER.  22.          IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.  255 

formed,  and  when  propensities  to  evil  may  be  re- 
sisted with  far  less  difficulty  than  will  be  experienced 
afterwards.  In  old  age,  on  the  other  hand,  life  has 
a  tediousness  about  it — the  relish  for  enjoyment  is 
greatly  diminished — habits  become  a  second  nature 
— and  he,  in  regard  to  whom  the  influence  of  custom 
co-operates  with  natural  depravity,  is  in  a  state  in 
which,  humanly  speaking,  reformation  is  not  to  be 
expected.  We  have,  in  the  chapter  from  which 
the  text  is  taken,  a  beautiful  allegorical  representa- 
tion of  the  infirmities  of  age,  which  finally  issue  in 
death.  Impaired  sight,  obstructed  hearing,  di- 
minished vigor  of  limbs,  a  form  bent  by  the  weight 
of  years,  decayed  sensibility,  and  a  mind  experi- 
encing, to  a  melancholy  extent,  the  influence  of  a 
wasting  body.  These  are  incident  to  an  advanced 
period  of  human  life  ;  and,  while  they  should  be 
monitions  of  our  approaching  end,  they  too  often 
indispose,  as  well  as  disqualify  us  for  a  diligent  and 
successful  preparation  for  this  solemn  event.  There- 
fore before  this  period  arrives,  when  happiness  is 
greatly  diminished,  and  the  powers  both  of  body 
and  mind  are  rapidly  failing,  "  Remember  your 
Creator." 

To  enforce  this  admonition,  I  would  state  some 
of  the  advantages  attendant  on  the  early  possession 
of  piety. 

1.  Security  is  obtained  against  any  contingency 
of  life.  Few  will  deny  that  some  preparation  is 


256  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.          SER.  22. 

necessary  in  order  to  a  happy  entrance  upon  the 
world  to  come.  Judgment  is  not  heedlessly  to  be 
encountered.  Yet  judgment  is  immediately  conse- 
quent upon  death,  and  death  may  occur  at  any 
moment.  Take  then  the  instance  of  one  who  is 
not  prepared  to  meet  his  God,  and  in  what  immi- 
nent danger  does  he  continually  live  !  Let  his  fond 
imagination  be  admitted  to  be  true,  that  it  is  in  any 
instance  safe  to  defer  to  a  bed  of  sickness  or  death 
the  great  concern  of  salvation.  Yet  how  uncertain 
is  it  that  he  shall  possess  even  this  poor  opportu- 
nity. An  unexpected  end,  a  disease  affecting  the 
reason,  vain  hope  cherished  to  the  last,  producing 
an  insensibility  to  the  approaching  danger,  may 
prevent  that  earnest  cry  which  might  perhaps  even 
at  the  eleventh  hour  indicate  a  sincere  conversion 
to  God. 

You,  then,  my  friends,  who  are  still  unprepared 
for  eternity,  occupy  a  station  awfully  perilous.  The 
divine  mandate  may  be  issued  to-day,  and  to-morrow 
where  will  you  be  ?  I  tremble  to  think  of  it,  and 
my  tongue  will  not  declare  it. 

It  is  with  a  reference  to  these  things,  that  I  have 
observed  that  the  early  possession  of  piety  will 
secure  us  against  all  hazard.  The  earlier  we 
become  reconciled  to  God,  the  less  risk  we  incur 
of  destruction.  Secure  of  his  favor,  we  are  ready 
to  depart  from  life  whenever  he  shall  command  us. 
We  shall  not  be  afraid  of  the  pestilence  that 


SER.  22.          IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.  257 

walketh  in  darkness,  nor  for  the  destruction  that 
wasteth  at  noonday.  In  life  we  confide  in  the 
divine  protection,  in  death  we  rely  upon  his  mercy 
and  hope  for  an  inheritance  in  his  kingdom. 

2.  I  would  note  as  another  advantage  of  re- 
membering and  serving  our  Creator  in  youth,  the 
exemption  from  many  painful  but  unavailing  regrets 
in  future  age.  To  you  who  are  Christians,  but  who 
have  become  such  at  an  advanced  age,  I  may  appeal 
in  regard  to  the  existence  of  these  regrets.  Let  it 
be  admitted  that  ere  you  had  become  reconciled  to 
God,  you  preserved  a  strict  morality — that  you 
violated  no  man's  rights,  and  injured  no  man's  hap- 
piness— and  that  you  were  temperate  in  all  things. 
Still  dp  you  not  now  look  back  with  shame  and 
sorro^on  many  years  spent  in  forgetfulness  of  God 
and  neglect  of  his  worship  ?  And  if  you  have  not 
been  highly  favored  in  escaping  the  snares  incident 
to  youth,  and  the  vices  to  which  mature  age  is  ex- 
posed, the  emotions  of  sorrow  with  which  the  retro- 
spection of  life  is  taken,  will  be  much  aggravated. 
An  awful  amount  of  guilt  is  incurred,  which  will  be 
remembered  with  pain  even  while  the  hope  of  for- 
giveness is  cherished.  Embracing  religion  as  early 
in  life  as  may  be,  we  shall  have  abundant  cause  of 
penitence  and  humiliation.  This  cause  will  be  in- 
creased with  every  passing  year,  or  month,  or  even 
day.  And  will  you  not  put  an  end  to  this  accumu- 
lation of  guilt — will  you  not  diminish  the  sorrow 
33 


258  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.         SER.  22. 

which  is  reserved  for  a  future  hour,  and  obviate  not 
one,  but  many  of  the  pangs  of  remorse  which  you 
are  hereafter  to  experience,  if  the  present  course  of 
life  is  persevered  in. 

3.  Another  advantage  attendant  on  early  re- 
membering our  Creator,  is  that  a  purer  piety  will 
be  felt,  and  more  perfect  rectitude  possessed,  than 
would  be  obtained  by  one  whose  life  was  far  spent 
ere  he  had  become  the  subject  of  religious  feeling. 
Far  be  it  from  us  to  limit  the  grace  of  God  by 
saying  that  the  aged  transgressor  may  not  be 
brought  to  experience,  in  a  high  degree,  the  affec- 
tions, and  well  to  maintain  the  deportment  of  the 
Christian.  But  it  is  the  dictate  of  reason  which 
Scripture  supports  and  our  observation  confirms, 
that  to  those  who  have  been  long  accustomed  to  do 
evil,  the  performance  of  good  is  a  difficult  under- 
taking. Relapses  into  former  errors  often  take 
place  in  the  beginning  of  their  Christian  life — old 
passions  are  with  great  difficulty  eradicated,  and 
when  he  who  has  early  become  the  subject  of  piety 
is  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  adorning  the  profession  of 
the  gospel,  they  are  perplexed  with  doubt,  and 
perhaps  are  often  failing  in  duty.  Doubtless  there 
are  many  instances  in  which  these  observations  do 
not  apply  ;  but  they  will  be  felt  as  true  by  most  to 
whom  they  are  referred. 

Let  me  then  again  urge  the  admonition,  "  Re- 
member now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth, 


SER. 22.  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.  259 

while  the  evil  days  come  not,  nor  the  years  draw 
nigh,  when  thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in 
them."  By  this  means,  you  will  secure  yourselves 
against  all  evil — you  will  save  yourselves  from  many 
bitter  and  unavailing  regrets,  and  you  will  attain 
greater  purity  of  Christian  feeling,  arid  more  eleva- 
tion of  Christian  character.  Shall  not  the  repre- 
sentations which  have  been  made  produce  some 
effect  upon  you  ?  Are  not  your  judgments  con- 
vinced, and  should  not  your  hearts  be  impressed  ? 
Hold  fast  this  conviction  and  cherish  this  impres- 
sion, and  make  an  immediate  determination  to  per- 
form your  duties  to  God.  If  you  act  otherwise, 
what  will  be  the  consequence  ?  You  may  direct 
all  the*  faculties  of  the  soul  to  the  acquisition  of  an 
ample  portion  in  this  life,  while  God  is  not  at  all 
remembered — you  may  spend  the  prime  of  your 
days  in  worldly  pleasure — you  may  run  to  every 
excess  of  riot,  and  desire  encouragement  to  per- 
severance in  this  course  of  conduct,  from  the  im- 
punity which  the  Almighty  seems  to  allow  you. 
Yet  forget  not — for  all  these  things  you  shall  be 
brought  into  judgment.  Youth  shall  pass  away, 
and  mature,  soon  issue  in  advanced  and  declining 
age.  Then  your  joys  will  be  diminished,  and  a 
deficiency  of  present  happiness  will  not  be  supplied 
by  the  hope  of  any  future  blessedness  on  earth. 
You  will  at  such  a  season  require  some  consolation, 
and  where  is  it  to  be  found  but  in  the  feelings  and 


260  IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.         SER.  22. 

expectations  produced  by  religion  ?  If,  however, 
you  are  willing  to  meet  a  cheerless  old  age,  en- 
livened by  no  hopes,  and  embittered  by  much  re- 
morse, still  are  you  prepared  to  encounter  the  scenes 
in  which  it  will  issue  ?  For  when  our  clay  tab- 
ernacle has  tumbled  into  ruin,  then  shall  the  dust 
return  to  dust,  and  the  spirit  return  to  God,  to  re- 
ceive a  merited  recompense.  By  the  terrors  of  that 
day  and  hour,  I  adjure  you  to  remember  your 
Creator,  and  seek  his  favor.  Is  it  because  you  are 
young  that  you  will  not  regard  this  injunction  ?  To 
you,  an  interest  in  Jesus  Christ  and  the  approbation 
of  your  God  are  as  necessary  as  they  will  be  at  any 
future  period.  And  is  not  religion  as  lovely  and 
consolatory  in  youth  as  in  old  age  ?  Are  you  afraid 
of  the  reproach  or  ridicule  of  the  thoughtless  or 
profane  ?  But  why  should  not  the  young  be  wise 
and  considerate  ?  Why  should  not  they  be  pure  in 
heart,  blameless  in  conduct,  and  influenced  by  the 
noblest  principles  of  which  man  is  susceptible  ?  It 
is  a  crime  of  awful  magnitude  to  make  such  persons 
the  objects  of  foolish  jest,  or  contemptuous  sar- 
casm ;  and  they  whose  greatest  happiness  it  is  thus 
attempted  to  destroy,  should  rise  superior  to  such 
base  and  malignant  attacks.  However  others  may 
choose  to  rush  headlong  to  destruction,  do  not  you, 
my  young  friends,  suffer  them  to  drag  you  down- 
ward with  them. 

I  would    now  conclude   by  stating  that  on  the 


SER.  22.        IMPORTANCE  OF  EARLY  PIETY.  261 

ensuing  Sabbath,  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
supper  will  be  dispensed.  It  is  the  rite  by  means 
of  which  a  profession  is  made  of  faith  and  hope  in 
Jesus  Christ.  Those  of  you  rny  brethren  who  have 
often  engaged  in  similar  celebrations,  know  what 
gratification  and  improvement  is  to  be  expected, 
and  what  preparation  is  requisite.  It  is  not  known 
whether  there  be  any  who  design  for  the  first  time 
to  profess  subjection  to  the  laws  of  the  Redeemer ; 
it  is  hoped  that  there  may  be  such.  If  any  of  you 
are  so  convinced  of  your  sins  that  you  feel  the 
necessity  of  seeking  salvation  ;  if  you  wish  to  live 
in  the  service  of  God  and  prepare  for  his  kingdom, 
do  not  allow  the  approaching  season  to  pass  without 
improvement.  Honor  the  Saviour  by  professing  his 
name ;  seek  strength  and  consolation  through  that 
medium  by  which  they  are  often  communicated. 
Turn  not  aside  from  the  gracious  invitation  which 
is  given  to  you.  Endeavor  with  right  dispositions 
to  meet  Jesus  Christ  at  his  table  on  earth,  and  you 
may  hope  to  enjoy  his  communion  in  heaven. 

May  God  grant  to  us  all  this  felicity,  and  to  his 
name  be  the  glory. 


262 


SERMON    XXIII. 

CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER. 

Preached  at  the  meeting  of  Presbytery,  at  Black  River,  April,  1833. 


1     CORINTHIANS    V.    7. 

For  even  Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us. 


IT  has  been  common  in  all  ages  and  countries,  to 
institute  rites,  commemorative  of  remarkable  trans- 
actions. This  usage  has  existed  in  regard  to  things 
sacred  as  well  as  civil.  It  has  been  common  to  all 
religions  whether  true  or  false.  It  serves  to  call  to 
the  remembrance  of  men,  events  which  are  calcu- 
lated powerfully  to  interest  the  feelings,  or  which 
have  exerted  a  striking  influence  upon  their  hap- 
piness. 

Among  the  various  observances  which  distin- 
guished the  ancient  church  of  God,  none  was  more 
remarkable  in  itself,  attended  with  more  grateful 
recollections,  or  adapted  to  produce  a  deeper  im- 


SER.  23.  CHRIST  OUR   PASSOVER.  263 

pression  upon  the  heart,  than  was  the  passover. 
According  to  the  original  institution  of  this  rite, 
every  family  of  Israel  were  required  on  the  tenth 
day  of  the  first  month  of  their  sacred  year,  which 
corresponds  to  part  of  our  months  of  March  and 
April,  to  select  a  kid  or  lamb  in  its  first  year, 
entirely  without  blemish.  This  was  to  be  slain  on 
the  evening  of  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  month — its 
blood  was  to  be  sprinkled  on  the  posts  of  their 
doors — its  body  roasted  whole,  eaten  with  unleav- 
ened bread  and  bitter  herbs.  Each  family  was  to 
partake  of  this  repast  as  in  haste,  with  their  loins 
girded  to  confine  the  loose  flowing  garments  which 
they  wore,  and  with  their  staves  in  their  hand  as 
prepared  for  a  journey.  A  child  was  directed  to 
inquire  of  the  head  of  the  family,  "what  mean  ye 
by  this  service  ?"  The  answer  to  be  given  was, 
"  It  is  the  sacrifice  of  the  Lord's  passover,  who 
passed  over  the  houses  of  the  children  of  Israel,  in 
Egypt,  when  he  smote  the  Egyptians  and  delivered 
our  houses." 

There  is  no  one  at  all  conversant  with  the  Old 
Testament  history,  who  does  not  remember  the 
severe  bondage  of  the  Hebrews  in  a  foreign  land, 
and  their  singular  deliverance  from  it.  Induced  by 
a  remarkable  providence  to  abandon  their  original 
habitation,  the  family  of  Jacob  had  in  a  series  of 
years,  increased  in  Egypt  to  a  powerful  nation. 
They  had  prospered  under  the  fostering  care  of  a 


264  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  SER.  23. 

monarch,  whose  first  minister  was  one  of  themselves. 
This  patronage  had  been  long  continued,  until  the 
services  of  Joseph  were  forgotten  and  the  number 
of  his  people  had  become  the  occasion  of  alarm  to  a 
jealous  government.  Then  their  oppressions  com- 
menced, and  continued  until  the  Almighty  had 
compassion  upon  the  people,  whom  he  had  chosen 
to  be  peculiarly  his  own.  A  succession  of  stu- 
pendous miracles  were  wrought  to  induce  Pharaoh 
to  allow  their  departure  from  his  kingdom.  Still  he 
continued  obdurate  and  inflexible,  and  the  last  and 
effectual  judgment  of  Jehovah  was  inflicted.  In 
one  night,  and  gloomy  and  awful  must  have  been 
that  night,  there  was  a  great  cry  throughout  the 
land  of  Egypt.  Every  habitation  was  filled  with 
mourning,  for  its  pride  and  consolation  were  de- 
stroyed— its  first  born  was  laid  low. 

Not  so  with  the  Israelites.  The  blood  of  the 
prescribed  victim  was  sprinkled  on  their  doors.  It 
was  a  pledge  of  safety.  The  destroying  angel  passed 
over.  And  while  sorrow  weighed  heavily  on  the 
soul  of  every  Egyptian,  the  royal  permission  found 
the  Hebrews  ready  to  depart. — their  loins  girded — 
their  shoes  on — their  staves  in  their  hands — and 
their  repast  ended. 

It  was  in  commemoration  of  this  happy  deliv- 
erance that  the  Israelites  were  required  to  celebrate 
the  passover,  through  all  their  generations.  But,  in 
this  ordinance  there  was  not  only  a  memorial  of  past 


SER.  23.  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  265 

transactions,  but  a  prefiguring  of  events  to  come. 
It  was  not  only  commemorative,  but  typical.  This 
fact  is  implied  in  the  text,  and  is  elsewhere  asserted. 
St.  Paul  terms  "  Christ,  our  passover."  The  Bap- 
tist hailed  him  as  the  Lamb  of  God.  His  blood,  in 
reference  to  that  of  the  paschal  sacrifice,  is  termed 
the  blood  of  sprinkling. 

The  term  passover,  is  applied  in  general  to  the 
institution  which  has  been  described,  it  also  denotes 
the  time  when  it  was  celebrated,  and  it  refers  to  the 
lamb  which  was  slain.  In  the  last  acceptation  it 
is  to  be  taken  in  the  passage  under  view.  Between 
Jesus  Christ  and  the  lamb  of  the  passover,  there 
are  certain  points  of  correspondence.  These  have 
been  variously  enumerated.  I  shall  at  present  only 
insist  upon  a  single  one. 

The  blood  of  the  paschal  lamb,  sprinkled  upon  the 
doors  of  the  Israelites  on  the  night  in  which  the  first- 
born of  Egypt  perished,  was  a  token  and  means  of 
preservation,  which,  being  recognized  by  the  de- 
stroying angel,  they  were  passed  over.  The  blood 
shed  by  Jesus  Christ,  being  applied  to  the  souls  of 
those  who  believe  on  him,  they  escape  the  stroke  of 
justice  which  will  involve  in  one  common  ruin  the 
unbelieving  world.  The  one  sacrifice  was  the 
token  of  deliverance  from  temporal  death — the 
other,  the  effectual  instrument  of  redemption  from 
eternal  destruction. 

It  is  on  account  of  this  and  other  correspon- 
34 


v  •*  % 


>    ' 

266  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  SER.  23. 

£  ' 

dences  which  might  be  mentioned,  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  termed  "  our  passover."  We  may  now  bestow 
some  attention  on  the  fact  that  Christ  our  passover 
is  sacrificed  for  us.  I  shall  not  on  the  present  occa- 
sion, enter  upon  the  consideration  of  the  nature  of 
sacrifices  in  general,  nor  prove  that  the  death  of  our 
Saviour  was  truly  and  properly  such.  Our  feelings 
at  this  time  do  not  call  for  controversy,  but  for 
reflections  which  may  impart  fervency  to  our 
gratitude  and  love,  and  add  vigor  to  our  resolutions 
of  holy  obedience.  We  may  therefore  inquire — 

I.  What  is  implied  in  the  statement  of  the  text  ? 

II.  What  influence  it  should  have  upon  us  ? 

I.  In  the  statement  that  Christ  our  passover  is 
sacrificed  for  us,  there  is  involved  the  fact,  "  that 
we  were  in  grievous  bondage,  and  exposed  to  direful 
calamities."  Our  bondage  was  not  to  man,  nor  did 
it  bind  to  severe  and  unrewarded  labor — but  it  was 
not  the  less  degrading.  Corruption  reigned  in  our 
hearts,  and  we  labored,  as  we  thought,  for  happiness, 
but  in  reality  for  something  opposite  to  it,  for  the 
only  wages  of  sin  is  death.  The  calamities  also  to 
which  we  were  exposed  were  most  awful.  It  was 
not  the  loss  of  those  who  were  dearest  to  us — it  was 
not  bodily  suffering,  even  when  ending  in  disso- 
lution— it  was  the  loss  of  our  souls — the  exclusion 
from  happiness  forever — the  subjection  to  hopeless, 
because  interminable  wretchedness. 

In  the  statement  of  the  text,  moreover,  there  is 


SER.  23.  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  267 

expressed  the  delightful  truth,  that  Christians  have 
been  redeemed  from  bondage,  and  rescued  from  the 
most  imminent  danger.  Christ  is  sacrificed  for  us. 
The  guilt  which  was  attached  to  us  has  been 
accounted  his.  He  has  suffered  when  we  should 
have  done  so.  Upon  him  has  the  curse  alighted — 
and  what  are  the  consequences  ?  We  who  believe 
upon  him,  are  justified.  We  have  peace  with  God. 
We  do  not  with  terror  anticipate  his  judgments. 
He  is  reconciled  to  us,  and  has  sent  his  Spirit  down 
into  our  hearts,  by  whom  they  are  purified  and 
filled  with  consolation. 

The  truth  then  which  St.  Paul  recalls  to  the 
remembrance  of  the  Corinthians,  and  of  which  I 
would  now  remind  you,  is  that  having  been 
wretched,  we  are  now  happy — that  having  been 
wicked,  we  have  now  hope  that  we  are  in  some 
good  degree  sanctified — and  that  these  blessings 
have  been  procured  by  Jesus  Christ,  through  the 
sacrifice  of  himself.  What  influence  should  this 
truth  have  upon  us  ?  We  should  cherish  a  grateful 
remembrance  of  the  love  of  Him  who  gave  himself 
for  our  salvation.  We  should  be  careful  that  this 
love  be  suitably  requited. 

The  present  season  is  one  which  is  well  fitted  to 
produce  such  a  state  of  mind.  We  have  before  us 
the  Lord's  passover — a  celebration  by  which  we 
have  forcibly  exhibited  the  death  of  Him  who  hath 
brought  to  us  redemption. 


268  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  SER.  23. 

The  original  passover  has  long  ceased  to  be 
observed  as  a  sacrificial  rite  by  those,  who,  through 
a  melancholy  infatuation,  reject  Him  whom  it  pre- 
figured. They  deem  it  unlawful  to  sacrifice  out  of 
Jerusalem — and  they  therefore  banish  from  their 
paschal  celebrations  all  that  is  unequivocally  of  this 
character.  But,  Christians  have  a  sacred  feast 
corresponding  to  that  which  commemorated  the 
deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt.  It  rep- 
resents Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  of  God,  without 
blemish,  holy,  harmless  and  undefiled,  as  slain  for 
us.  The  sacrifice  was  accomplished  at  the  very 
time  when  the  paschal  lamb  was  ordinarily  killed. 
For,  contrary  to  what  has  been  received  by  many,  it 
is  probable  that  our  Lord  did  not  eat  the  last  Jewish 
passover — that  the  supper,  which  with  so  many 
solemn  circumstances  he  ate  with  his  disciples,  was 
on  the  night  previous  to  that  celebration — and  that 
at  the  hour  when  he  dismissed  his  spirit,  the  typical 
victim  bled  before  the  Jewish  altar. 

As  then  the  ancient  people  of  God  by  the 
passover  preserved  the  remembrance  of  their  re- 
markable deliverance  from  Egyptian  servitude,  so 
Christians,  by  an  attendance  on  the  solemn  cele- 
bration before  us,  commemorate  that  higher  re- 
demption which  they  have  experienced,  from  the 
bondage  of  sin,  and  the  awful  consequences  of  guilt. 

We  have  seen  what  is  involved  in  the  statement 
of  the  text,  and  have  in  general  observed  that  it 


SER.  23.  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  269 

should  operate  as  a  powerful  motive  to  the  grateful 
recollection  of  the  mercy  of  Jesus  Christ.  But, 
there  is  a  special  connection  in  which  it  is  intro- 
duced by  the  Apostle,  which  deserves  our  attention 
at  this  time.  "  Purge  out  therefore  the  old  leaven, 
that  ye  may  be  a  new  lump,  as  ye  are  unleavened. 
For  even  Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us. 
Therefore  let  us  keep  the  feast,  not  with  old  leaven, 
neither  with  the  leaven  of  malice  and  wickedness  ; 
but  with  the  unleavened  bread  of  sincerity  and 
truth." 

The  occasion  of  this  admonition,  was  the  scandal 
which  was  attached  to  the  Corinthian  church,  by 
their  retaining  in  their  communion  a  gross  offender. 
"Know  you  not,"  he  exclaims,  "that  a  little  leaven 
leaveneth  the  whole  lump."  Evil,  tolerated  in  a 
community  is  contagious,  and  one  vicious  member 
may  corrupt  all — and  then  follows  the  exhortation 
to  purge  out  the  old  leaven.  These  expressions 
may  to  some  require  explanation. 

Leaven  is  in  Scripture  emblematic  of  corruption, 
and  for  this  reason,  it  was  strictly  enjoined  upon  the 
Israelites  to  remove  from  their  dwellings,  on  the 
evening  preceding  the  passover,  even  the  smallest 
portion  of  this  offensive  substance.  As  the  Christian 
passover  was  at  hand,  St.  Paul  enjoins  it  upon  those 
to  whom  he  wrote,  to  observe  a  similar  precaution — 
to  carefully  separate  from  them  that,  of  which  leaven 
was  emblematic. 


270  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  SER.  23. 

By  the  old  leaven,  we  may  understand,  the  sin  of 
impurity,  for  which  the  Corinthians  had  been  noto- 
rious. 

"  Malice"  refers  to  evil  dispositions  existing  in 
the  heart. 

"  Wickedness,"  to  the  outward  conduct  flowing 
from  it. 

Sincerity  refers  to  openness  of  character,  and  the 
reality  of  our  kind  feelings  to  others. 

Truth  characterizes  the  nature  of  the  worship 
which  we  are  to  offer  to  God. 

The  general  thought  expressed  in  the  passage  is, 
that  the  Lord's  supper  should  be  attended  on  with 
due  preparation.  That  we  should  endeavor  to 
separate  from  us  every  thing  that  is  offensive  to 
God.  That,  with  purity,  and  simplicity,  and  fer- 
vency of  spirit,  we  should  attend  upon  our  sacred 
feast. 

Allow  me  then,  brethren,  at  this  solemn  season, 
to  urge  upon  you  the  apostolic  exhortation. 

It  is  hoped  that  those  of  you  who  design  to 
participate  in  the  holy  ordinance  before  us,  have 
been  careful  to  put  away  from  you  the  old  leaven. 
Far  be  it  from  us  to  deter  from  eating  the  Lord's 
passover,  the  humble  and  desponding  Christian,  who 
needs  encouragement.  Yet  duty  dictates  the  admo- 
nition, do  not  come  forward  while  conscious  that 
iniquity  is  habitually  indulged  in.  Perfection  we  do 
not  expect.  But,  a  sincere  desire  to  do  the  will  of 


SER.  23.  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  271 

God,  evinced  in  all  our  conduct,  is  a  feeling  which 
we  ought  to  observe  in  our  hearts,  ere  we  cherish 
the  hope  that  we  are  Christians. 

We  trust,  that  of  this  feeling  you  are  conscious, 
my  brethren — that,  although  you  may  fall  far  short 
of  what  you  ought  to  do,  your  failure  is  not  in  your 
apprehensions  a  matter  of  indifference — you  deeply 
deplore  it — your  continual  prayer  to  God  is,  that 
you  may  be  wholly  sanctified.  It  is  the  fervent 
aspiration  of  your  soul — Give  to  me  more  of  thy 
grace,  oh  Lord !  Lift  thou  upon  me  the  light  of 
thy  countenance ! 

Having  therefore  made  suitable  preparation,  let  us 
eat  our  passover  with  the  unleavened  bread  of 
sincerity  and  truth.  This  occasion,  of  all  others, 
calls  for  the  high  and  pure  exercise  of  Christian 
feeling.  The  event  which  we  commemorate  is  one 
of  great  and  eternal  interest.  We  shall  have  Jesus 
Christ  evidently  set  forth  as  crucified  before  us. 
The  fearful  conflict  has  been  waged,  and  victory 
achieved.  The  pains  of  death  have  been  endured, 
and  our  Lord  has  ascended  on  high,  leading  cap- 
tivity captive — and  the  memorials  of  all  this  exist  in 
the  celebration  upon  which  we  are  entering.  Let 
the  vanities  of  the  world  be  forgotten,  or  remem- 
bered only  to  be  despised — they  are  the  enemies  of 
our  souls,  and  for  them  the  blessings  of  eternity  are 
oftentimes  forfeited.  Let  all  enmity  toward  our 
fellow  creatures,  die  away  ;  for,  shall  we  not  for- 


272  CHRIST  OUR  PASSOVER.  SER.  23. 

give,  when  God's  forgiveness  is  the  delightful  theme 
of  our  meditation?  And,  from  hearts  deeply  pene- 
trated by  gratitude,  let  pure  worship  be  rendered  to 
our  God  and  Redeemer. 

And,  who  shall  now  join  in  obeying  the  last 
command  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  We  do  not  expect  to 
see  those  come  forward  who,  insensible  to  their 
danger,  feel  not  their  need  of  salvation.  Unhappy 
are  they,  and  we  know  them  to  be  so  ;  and  fain 
would  we  address  an  imploring  voice,  and  yield  to 
them  an  assisting  hand,  to  guide  them  in  the  way  of 
peace.  But  the  hour  has  not  yet  come  for  them  to 
be  arrested  in  the  course  which  leads  downwards  to 
destruction ;  and  will  that  hour  ever  arrive  ?  We 
may  hope  for  it,  and  earnestly  would  we  cling  to 
this  hope  in  regard  to  every  one  of  you,  even  him  of 
whom  there  is  the  greatest  reason  to  despair.  But 
our  hopes  may  be  disappointed.  The  gospel  may 
be  preached  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  ;  this  sacra- 
ment may  be  administered  from  season  to  season  ; 
God's  providential  dispensations  may  warn,  and  his 
Spirit  admonish  of  duty,  and  yet  you  may  die  im- 
penitent and  unreconciled,  and  go  down  to  sorrow. 
May  God  avert  these  evils,  and  although  we  shall 
not  now  meet  you  at  the  table  of  the  Lord,  yet  may 
you  do  so  at  another  and  no  distant  period.  At  this 
time  we  expect  to  join  with  those  who,  resting  on 
Jesus  Christ  for  their  salvation,  and  cherishing  the 
love  of  God  in  their  hearts,  are  willing,  in  the  face 


SER.    23.  CHRIST    OUR    PASSOVER.  273 

of  the  world,  to  make  a  profession  of  their  faith, 
and  love,  and  purposes  of  obedience.  For  them, 
this  table  is  now  spread.  They  are  affectionately 
invited  to  come  forward,  that  while  communing 
with  each  other,  they  may  show  forth  the  Lord's 
death,  until  he  come  to  judge  the  world,  to  be 
admired  in  his  saints,  and  glorified  in  them  that 
believe. 


35 


274 


SERMON    XXIV 

"  IT   IS   FINISHED." 

A  Communion  Sermon.       • 


JOHN  xix.  30. 

He  said,  It  is  finished  I    and  he  bowed  his  head,  and  gave 
up  the  ghost. 

WE  propose  this  day  to  commemorate  an  event 
striking  in  itself,  solemn  in  its  import,  and  leading 
to  the  most  momentous  consequences.  We  are  to 
transport  ourselves  backward  into  a  period  many 
centuries  distant.  We  will  imagine  ourselves  placed 
in  circumstances  widely  differing  from  those  in 
which  we  now  are.  Judea,  the  land  enlightened 
by  prophecy  and  revelation,  distinguished  by  pe- 
culiar marks  of  the  divine  favor,  and  trodden  by  the 
footsteps  of  the  Son  of  God,  shall  present  itself  to 
our  view.  We  shall  enter  into  Jerusalem,  the  holy 
city,  and  amid  the  numberless  objects  which  meet 


SER.  24.  "  IT  IS  FINISHED."  275 

our  eyes,  we  will  direct  our  attention  to  Him  who 
came  to  seek  and  save  that  which  was  lost.  His 
divine  majesty,  perfect  holiness,  and  disinterested 
and  unparalleled  benevolence,  will  strike  our  minds. 
We  will  consider  the  last  scenes  of  his  life,  and 
entering  the  chamber  where,  with  his  disciples,  he 
had  prepared  to  eat  the  passover,  we  shall  observe 
him  enjoining  upon  them  a  rite  which  was  to  be 
observed  in  all  succeeding  ages  in  commemoration 
of  his  death.  We  will  then  pass  on  to  the  awful 
consummation  of  the  Messiah's  sufferings,  and  while 
we  behold  him  suspended  in  agony,  and  ready  to 
.dismiss  his  spirit,  we  shall  hear  from  his  lips  the 
emphatic  announcement,  "  It  is  finished." 

I.  The  will  of  God  was  then  accomplished  ;  the 
great  designs  of  the  Almighty  were  executed.  This 
is  the  first  light  in  which  the  Saviour's  exclamation 
is  to  be  regarded. 

What  God  brings  to  pass  in  time,  was  the  object 
of  his  eternal  purpose.  The  whole  frame  of  created 
nature  in  all  its  parts  and  throughout  all  its  revo- 
lutions, was  in  the  view  of  the  Creator,  ere  time 
began.  The  human  race  was  ordained  to  exist ; 
their  fall  was  foreseen  and  permitted  ;  their  resto- 
ration was  made  to  depend  upon  a  determinate 
process.  In  conformity  with  the  counsels  of  eternal 
wisdom,  the  Word  of  God,  who  was  in  the  be- 
ginning ;  who  made  the  worlds  ;  who  was  the 
brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  express  image 


276  "  IT  IS  FINISHED."  SER.  24. 

of  his  person,  became  incarnate.  It  was  ordained 
that  he  should  be  humbled  for  a  season  ;  that 
although  innocent,  he  should  suffer  ;  that  although 
far  above  men  and  angels,  he  should  be  controlled 
by  human  authority ;  that  he  should  endure  death 
in  a  violent  manner ;  that  his  sufferings  should  be 
reckoned  in  lieu  of  those  merited  by  human  kind  ; 
that  the  sins  of  the  world  should  be  laid  on  him  ; 
that  he  should  bear  them  away,  and  thus  become 
the  author  of  eternal  life  to  those  who  believe  on 
him.  These  were  the  counsels  of  peace  which 
from  everlasting  existed  in  the  divine  mind  con- 
cerning the  redemption  of  man ;  and  at  the  hour 
when  Jesus  gave  up  his  spirit  they  were  accom- 
plished. 

II.  But  the  great  object  toward  which  all  prior 
dispensations  had  pointed,  and  to  which  they  were 
subservient,  was  now  effected  ;  and  this  is  the 
second  light  in  which  we  are  to  regard  the  Saviour's 
last  declaration. 

Two  distinct  divine  dispensations  had  subsisted 
in  the  world  previously  to  that  in  which  Christ  was 
manifested  ;  the  patriarchal  and  Jewish.  The 
former  comprised  within  it  the  whole  race  of  man  ; 
the  latter  was  restricted  to  a  single  people.  In  the 
former,  the  appointed  Deliverer  was  exhibited  to 
the  faith  of  the  devout,  through  the  medium  of 
prophetical  declarations  and  symbolical  actions. 
By  the  one,  they  were  enabled  to  look  into  futurity 


SER.  24.  "  IT  IS  FINISHED."  277 

and  contemplate  the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  the 
glory  which  should  follow.  Through  the  other, 
they  had  exhibited  immediately  to  their  view,  by  a 
lively  representation,  the  same  awful  and  interesting 
event.  And  in  the  offering  of  sacrifices  which 
existed  from  the  beginning,  there  was  recognized  a 
symbolical  transfer  of  the  guilt  of  the  offerer,  to 
the  unoffending  victim  ;  and  there  was  reference 
made  to  One  who  should  become  a  real  and  effi- 
cacious substitute;  who  should  forever  put  away 
sin  from  those  who  believed  on  him,  by  the  sacrifice 
of  himself. 

Under  the  economy  of  Moses,  the  same  general 
characteristics  are  observable,  and  to  these,  others 
were  added  ;  but  all  were  alike  designed  to  shadow 
out,  to  express  obscurely  the  advent — the  character 
— the  actions  of  the  Author  of  our  salvation.  And 
when  Jesus  had  attained  the  limit  of  his  sufferings, 
when  he  was  about  to  descend  into  that  tomb  from 
which  he  emerged  gloriously  and  triumphantly — 
then  were  numerous  prophecies  fulfilled — then  were 
all  the  types  accomplished — then  did  the  shadow 
give  way  to  the  substance,  and  the  full  revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ  was  made. 

III.  The  humiliation  moreover,  of  the  Saviour, 
was  past,  and  his  sufferings  had  ended  ;  and  it  is 
thus  we  may  understand  the  declaration — "  It  is 
finished."  Let  us  then  consider  him  in  his  hu- 
miliation— let  us  present  to  our  minds  a  vivid 


278  "  IT  IS  FINISHED."  SER.  24. 

representation  of  his  sufferings;  and  the  exercise 
will  be  appropriate  to  the  present  occasion,  and  will 
conduce  to  our  general  improvement. 

I  would  then  recall  to  your  remembrance  the  evils 
and  privations  to  which  He  became  subjected,  who 
was  Lord  of  all.  I  would  not  dwell  on  the  humil- 
iating circumstances  of  his  birth — nor  the  obscurity 
in  which  a  portion  of  his  life  was  spent — nor  on  the 
reproaches  which  were  subsequently  cast  upon  him, 
during  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry — but  ad- 
vancing toward  the  close,  I  would  contemplate  him 
during  that  eventful  night  when  he  was  delivered 
into  the  hands  of  his  enemies. 

It  is  however  proper,  to  the  consideration  of  the 
Saviour's  sufferings,  to  premise  the  observation,  that 
in  his  humanity  alone  he  could  be  afflicted — as 
respects  his  divine  nature,  he  was  evidently  im- 
passive. Nor  does  this  consideration  derogate  at 
all  from  the  efficacy  of  his  death,  or  place  it  on  an 
equality  with  that  of  any  other  human  being.  The 
intimate  union  of  the  eternal  word  with  the  man 
Christ  Jesus,  involved  in  a  certain  sense,  a  mutual 
communication  of  properties.  The  actions  or  af- 
fections of  each  are  attributed  to  the  other — one 
nature  rendered  him  susceptible  of  suffering — the 
other  conferred  upon  that  suffering  an  infinite  merit. 

We  shall  now  endeavor  to  fix  our  attention  upon 
those  all  interesting  events  which  occupied  the  last 
days  of  Jesus  Christ  while  on  earth.  We  shall  pass 


SER.  24.  "  IT    IS    FINISHED."  279 

from  the  institution  of  that  solemn  feast  which  we 
have  now  before  us,  and  accompany  the  Son  of 
man  into  the  garden  to  which  he  was  accustomed 
to  resort  with  his  disciples.  He  withdraws  himself 
from  them,  taking  with  him  the  three  most  highly 
favored.  "  Then  saith  he  unto  them,  My  soul  is 
exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto  death  ;  tarry  ye  here 
and  watch  with  me.  And  he  went  a  little  farther 
and  fell  on  his  face  and  prayed,  saying,  Oh  !  my 
Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me  ; 
nevertheless,  not  as  I  will  but  as  thou  wilt.  And 
he  cometh  to  his  disciples  and  findeth  them  asleep, 
and  saith  unto  Peter,  What,  could  ye  not  watch 
one  hour  ?  He  went  away  again  the  second  time 
and  prayed,  saying,  Oh !  my  Father,  if  this  cup 
may  not  pass  away  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be 
done.  And  he  came  and  found  them  asleep  again. 
And  he  left  them  and  went  away  praying  the  third 
time.  And  being  in  an  agony  he  prayed  more 
earnestly,  and  the  sweat  was,  as  it  were,  great  drops 
of  blood  falling  to  the  ground."  My  brethren,  what 
an  awful  scene  is  this ;  what  an  intensity  and 
peculiarity  of  suffering  marks  it.  On  most  other 
occasions,  bodily  pain  was  endured  by  the  Saviour, 
while  the  soul  was  serene  and  happy  under  the  con- 
sciousness that  he  was  doing  the  will  of  his  Father 
who  had  sent  him.  But  now  his  soul  seems  to  be 
affected  with  agony  indescribable.  We  do  not 
attempt  to  define  the  nature  or  source  of  that  suf- 


280  "  IT    IS    FINISHED."  SER.  24. 

fering  which  produces  a  distress  so  acute  and  almost 
insupportable.  It  was  not  of  an  ordinary  character. 
It  did  not  arise  from  the  apprehension  of  approach- 
ing death,  however  ignominious  or  dreadful.  A 
good  man,  about  to  suffer  death  wrongfully,  could 
meet  it  with  tranquillity,  were  he  only  possessed  of 
an  ordinary  measure  of  fortitude.  Our  Saviour 
knew,  moreover,  that  he  would  arise  from  the  dead 
on  the  third  day  from  his  interment.  He  could  not, 
therefore,  contemplate  death  with  that  feeling  of 
horror  described  by  the  evangelist.  Our  apprehen- 
sions are  confused  on  this  subject ;  it  is  enveloped 
in  mystery,  for  God  has  not  chosen  to  enlighten  us. 
But  we  are  authorized  to  believe,  that  now  Jesus 
had  began  to  suffer,  the  just  for  the  unjust ;  that 
now  there  was  a  fearful  conflict  going  on  by  which 
our  redemption  was  achieved.  We  may  suppose 
that  to  the  mind  of  the  holy  and  exalted  sufferer, 
there  was  present  an  apprehension  of  the  awful 
punishment  due  to  the  sins  of  the  whole  world  ; 
that  in  view  of  the  malignity  of  transgression  and 
its  tremendous  effect  on  the  happiness  of  millions, 
his  soul  was  penetrated  with  sorrow  unutterable  ; 
sorrow,  whose  dreadful  nature  was  indicated  by 
that  repeated  prayer  which  denoted  such  intense 
interest.  But  the  hour  of  trial  is  past ;  Jesus  ad- 
vances to  those  who  came,  guided  by  that  false 
disciple,  to  carry  him  to  unrighteous  judgment  and 
ignominious  suffering.  "  Judas,  betrayest  thou  the 


SER.  24.  UIT    IS    FINISHED."  281 

Son  of  man  with  a  kiss?"  is  the  only  reply  made  to 
the  hollow  salutation  of  the  traitor.  To  those  who 
came  to  apprehend  him  he  only  observes,  '  Do  ye 
come  with  swords  and  clubs  as  in  pursuit  of  a  rob- 
ber ?  While  I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  temple 
ye  did  not  attempt  to  arrest  me.  But  this  is  your 
hour  and  the  power  of  darkness.'  He  forbids  any 
measures  of  defence  on  the  part  of  his  disciples,  but 
gave  sufficient  evidence  of  his  power  to  defend 
himself,  for  he  had  no  sooner  said  to  his  enemies, 
'  I  am  he,'  than  they,  going  backwards,  fell  to  the 
ground.  To  the  ardent  disciple  who  endeavors  to 
preserve  him  from  violence,  he  observes,  «  shall  I 
not  drink  the  cup  which  the  Father  gives  me  ? ' 

Let  us  now  pass  to  the  house  of  the  high  priest, 
where  all  the  chief  priests,  and  scribes,  and  elders, 
were  assembled.  Jesus  is  brought  before  them,  and 
what  dignity,  what  mildness,  what  unrepining 
patience  are  apparent  in  all  his  conduct.  To  the 
question  of  the  high  priest  concerning  his  doctrine, 
he  answers,  '  I  spake  openly  in  the  world,  I  even 
taught  in  the  synagogue  and  in  the  temple  whither 
the  Jews  always  resort,  and  in  secret  have  I  said 
nothing.'  An  officer,  offended  at  his  irreverence 
toward  the  high  priest,  strikes  him.  He  answers, 
"  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  that  evil, 
but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  ?"  The  attempt  is 
eagerly  made  to  procure  evidence  of  his  guilt,  but 
in  vain.  False  witnesses  at  length  appear,  but  their 
36 


282  "IT    IS    FINISHED."  SER.  24. 

conflicting  testimony  falls  short  of  the  desired 
object.  Silent  in  regard  to  the  trivial  accusation 
made  against  him,  he  is  adjured  to  make  known 
whether  he  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  blessed 
God.  He  assents  to  this  claim,  and  adds,  "  Here- 
after je  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on  the 
right  hand  of  God  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven."  The  high  priest  rending  his  clothes,  ex- 
claims, "  he  hath  spoken  blasphemy,  what  farther 
need  have  we  of  witnesses  ?  "  And  they  all  con- 
demn him  as  deserving  of  death.  And  now  the 
holy  and  just  one  is  exposed  to  cruel  mockery  and 
insult.  But  the  power  of  inflicting  death  not  rest- 
ing with  the  Jewish  sanhedrim,  he  is  carried  before 
the  tribunal  of  the  Roman  governor.  And  here  we 
observe  the  malignity  and  falsehood  of  the  Jews 
when  they  said,  u  we  found  this  man  perverting  the 
nation,  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar, 
saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ,  a  king."  We 
observe,  also,  on  the  part  of  Jesuss  a  dignified  re- 
fusal to  answer  to  those  charges  which  were  made 
without  reason  and  resulted  from  a  determination 
to  destroy  him  at  all  events.  And  when,  at  length, 
he  replies  to  Pilate,  he  repels  all  the  groundless 
inferences  from  his  doctrines  by  asserting,  "  my 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  And  here,  also,  we 
perceive  the  frequent  and  explicit  avowal  on  the 
part  of  the  governor,  "  I  find  no  fault  in  this  man." 
And  now  the  glorious  Redeemer  is  subjected  to  still 


SER.  24.  "IT    IS    FINISHED."  283 

deeper  degradation.  He  is  sent  to  Herod  and 
remanded  again  to  Pilate  ;  he  is  scourged  and 
mocked.  He  is  invested  with  the  ensigns  of 
royalty  in  derision  of  his  claims.  A  robber  and 
murderer  is  preferred  to  him  ;  arid  while  a  heathen 
judge  is  impressed  with  his  innocence,  and  desirous 
to  release  him,  the  cry  of  his  infatuated  country- 
men was,  "  crucify  him,  crucify  him,"  and  "  his 
blood  be  upon  us  and  upon  our  children."  He  is 
led  away  to  suffering,  associated  with  vile  malefac- 
tors he  is  fixed  upon  the  cross  ;  insult  is  added  to 
the  pangs  of  crucifixion.  He  is  tauntingly  required, 
if  he  be  the  Son  of  God,  to  come  down  from  the 
cross.  It  is  remarked  scornfully,  he  saved  others, 
himself  he  cannot  save.  Under  these  circumstan- 
ces the  divine  compassion  of  Him  who  died  to  save 
us  is  most  affectingly  exhibited.  No  feeling  of 
impatience  ;  no  emotion  of  displeasure  ;  no  wish  to 
punish  occupies  his  bosom.  The  prayer  he  utters  is, 
"  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  His  sufferings  continue  and  increase  ;  a 
supernatural  darkness  covers  the  land  of  Judea  ; 
the  veil  of  the  temple  is  rent ;  the  earth  trembles ; 
rocks  are  torn  asunder ;  and  the  Redeemer  know- 
ing that  all  things  were  now  accomplished,  that 
his  humiliation  was  about  to  end,  that  the  cup  of 
his  calamity  was  exhausted,  exclaims,  "  It  is  fin- 
ished, and  bowing  his  head,  dismisses  his  spirit." 


284  "  IT    IS    FINISHED."  SER.  24. 

And  now  the  atonement  is  perfected — provision  is 
made  for  the  forgiveness  of  the  sins  of  men — the 
throne  of  divine  mercy  is  accessible — millions  of 
souls  are  redeemed  from  guilt  and  wretchedness — 
the  fear  of  death  is  taken  away — and  through  this 
gloomy  passage  is  the  entrance  to  everlasting  bles- 
sedness. My  brethren,  what  a  glorious  consumma- 
tion is  this  !  How  animating  to  us  should  be  the 
contemplation  of  it — how  deserving  of  our  grateful 
commemoration !  Jesus  Christ  has  finished  the 
work  of  our  redemption.  He  has  made  satisfaction 
to  the  divine  justice.  By  him,  we  who  believe 
shall  be  justified  from  all  things.  And  at  how  dear 
a  rate  has  he  purchased  for  us  an  exemption  from 
condemnation.  Though  rich,  for  our  sakes  he 
became  poor.  Although  in  the  form  of  God,  and 
deeming  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  he 
appeared  in  the  form  of  a  servant.  He  was  de- 
spised and  rejected  of  men,  and  it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  bruise  him.  Yet  was  he  wounded  not  for  his 
own,  but  for  our  iniquities.  But  the  season  of  dark- 
ness has  past.  He  possesses  again  the  glory  which 
he  had  with  the  Father  before  all  worlds.  He  has 
also  opened  a  way  for  us  into  the  most  holy  place 
by  his  blood  ;  he  that  was  dead  is  alive  and  shall 
live  forever  more  with  all  sufficient  power  to  save. 
To-day  we  are  to  attend  on  the  commemoration  of 
his  sufferings  ;  our  hearts  will  be  filled  with  sorrow; 


SER.  24.  "  IT    IS    FINISHED."  285 

but  it  is  a  sorrow  which  shall  be  turned  into  joy  ; 
for  our  minds  may  pass  from  the  Saviour's  humilia- 
tion to  his  exaltation  ;  we  may  meditate  on  the 
inestimable  blessings  consequent  upon  his  atone- 
ment, and  we  may  rejoice  in  the  hope  of  beholding 
his  face  in  the  kingdom  of  light  and  joy  above. 


286 


SERMON    XXV. 

A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE. 

Occasioned  by  the  death  of  Thomas  Taylor,  Jun.,  Columbia,  1825. 


PSALM  cii.  24 — 27. 

I  said,  O  my  God,  take  me  not  away  in  the  midst  of  my 
days  :  thy  years  are  throughout  all  generations.  Of  old 
hast  thou  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth  ;  and  the  heavens 
are  the  work  of  thy  hands.  They  shall  perish,  but  thou 
shalt  endure  :  yea,  all  of  them  shall  wax  old  like  a  gar- 
ment ;  as  a  vesture  shalt  thou  change  them,  and  they  shall 
be  changed :  but  thou  art  the  same,  and  thy  years  shall 
have  no  end. 

THE  eternity  of  the  Creator,  when  contrasted 
with  the  transitory  and  brief  duration  assigned  to 
the  works  of  his  hands,  furnishes  an  affecting  sub- 
ject of  contemplation.  The  infinity  of  the  one 
renders  the  insignificance  of  the  other  unspeakably 
more  striking.  And  man,  an  intelligent  part  of 
God's  workmanship,  is  so  constituted  as  to  appre- 
hend and  feel  his  immeasurable  inferiority.  When 


SER.  25.  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  287 

we  consider  the  Almighty  as  having  existed  forever, 
as  having  existed  at  the  remotest  period,  of  which 
we  can  possibly  form  a  conception,  as  not  growing 
old  by  the  lapse  of  innumerable  ages,  and  as 
necessarily  continuing  in  all  his  glory  and  perfection 
through  endless  generations,  —  we  cannot  avoid 
exclaiming,  our  days  are  but  an  handbreadth ;  our 
age  is  as  nothing  before  him.  Short,  however,  as 
is  the  term  of  human  life,  few  attain  its  utmost 
limits  ;  many  perish  on  the  threshold  of  existence  ; 
others  are  arrested  in  various  stages  of  their  pro- 
gress, and  some  are  left  to  perish  from  the  exhaus- 
tion of  a  worn  out  constitution.  It  is  a  gloomy 
picture  which  is  thus  given.  It  is,  however,  con- 
formed to  truth.  It  must  be  always  present  to  our 
remembrance  ;  it  is  often  presented  to  our  actual 
view.  Many  hearts  now  bleed  on  account  of  one 
snatched  from  them  in  the  bloom  and  vigor  of 
youth.  Since  our  last  assembling  together,  death 
has  appeared  in  an  appalling  form  in  this  vicinity. 
One  who  was  sometimes  present  in  this  congre- 
gation, with  whom  some  of  you  were  in  the  habit 
of  an  almost  daily  association,  has  been  cut  down, 
suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  his  days. 

While  thus  contemplating  what  may  be  the 
doom  of  ourselves,  it  is  natural  for  us  to  adopt  the 
prayer  of  the  Psalmist — "  O  my  God,  take  me  not 
away  in  the  midst  of  my  days  :  thy  years  are 
throughout  all  generations." 


288  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  SER.  25. 

In  the  course  of  the  observations  now  to  be 
offered  to  you,  I  shall  consider  the  reasons  why  the 
doom  contemplated  in  the  prayer,  is  exceedingly 
afflictive  to  those  who  experience  it,  and  why  it  is 
peculiarly  distressing  to  those  who  contemplate  it. 

I  shall  inquire,  why  the  being  cutoff  in  the  midst 
of  his  days  is  often  a  mournful  destiny  to  those  who 
are  called  to  encounter  it. 

1.  It  is  so,  in  the  first  place,  because  the  hopes 
and  expectations  of  life  are  not  realized  ;  because 
the  work  of  life  is  all  unaccomplished.  Every  man 
delineates,  in  his  own  imagination,  the  earthly 
course  which  he  is  to  run.  It  is  characterized  by 
hopes  of  enjoyment  and  purposes  of  action. 

The  sanguine  temperament  of  youth  loves  to 
dwell  on  visions  of  future  happiness  ;  its  vigor  and 
restless  activity  impel  to  great  and  numerous  under- 
takings, which  its  strong  and  often  vain  confidence 
doubts  not  may  be  surely  and  readily  accomplished. 
When,  therefore,  we  have  done,  or  fruitlessly 
attempted  to  do,  all  that  we  originally  intended, 
when  we  have  reaped  the  joys  which  we  anticipated, 
then,  we  are  not,  indeed,  in  every  instance,  satis- 
fied. We  may  not  be  willing  to  die  ;  but,  there 
exists  not  those  reasons  for  regretting  that  our  days 
are  cut  short,  there  are  not  those  motives  to  wish  a 
prolongation  of  life,  which  we  can  imagine  to  exist 
under  other  circumstances.  And  such  circum- 
stances do  distinguish  the  condition  which  we  are 


SER.  25.  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  289 

describing,  when,  concerning  an  individual,  it  is 
ordained  by  the  Almighty,  that  the  pleasures  of  life 
shall  not  be  proven,  that  its  toils  shall  not  be  under- 
gone, nor  the  temporal  reward  of  those  toils  attained. 
But  in  the  second  place,  it  is  exceedingly  appalling 
to  us  to  be  cut  off  in  the  beginning  or  the  midst  of 
our  days,  because  there  often  exists  at  that  period 
a  total  want  of  preparation  for  that  future  state  into 
which  death  shall  introduce  us.  Let  me  not  be 
understood  as  here  asserting,  that  with  advanced 
age  there  is  always  an  accession  of  religious  wis- 
dom. That  all  who  are  permitted  to  attain  length 
of  days  are  matured  for  celestial  happiness.  We 
have  seen  the  hoary  head  to  be  a  crown  of  glory, 
because  it  was  found  in  the  way  of  righteousness ;  but 
we  have  observed  it  to  be  attended  with  reproach, 
and  to  become  the  occasion  of  sorrow  to  the  good, 
when  associated  with  thoughtlessness,  irreligion,  or 
vice.  Still,  attention  to  the  concerns  of  another 
world  is  that  which  we  more  confidently  expect  in 
advanced  than  in  early  life.  Seriousness  seems  to 
be  the  natural  attribute  of  the  latter,  as  thought- 
lessness of  the  former  state.  Acquaintance  with  a 
world  of  sorrow,  experience  of  the  vanity  of  human 
hopes  on  this  side  of  the  grave,  some  degree  of 
satiety  in  reference  to  worldly  good,  prepare  the 
mind  to  adopt  the  sentiments  and  to  cherish  the 
hopes  of  religion.  This  discipline,  however,  the 
young  man  has  not  undergone.  He  is  left  to  the 
37 


290  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  SER.  25. 

guidance  of  buoyant  feelings,  delusive  anticipations, 
and  apprehensions  concerning  the  serious  duties  of 
life  altogether  erroneous.  The  monitions  of  heav- 
enly wisdom  are  unattended  to,  from  the  presump- 
tion, that  at  his  time  of  life  they  are  unnecessary. 
He  who  is  enamoured  with  the  pleasures  of  the 
world  yet  fresh  and  almost  untasted,  cares  not  for 
the  purer  and  higher,  although  graver  enjoyments 
which  religion  presents  to  his  acceptance.  He  who 
acts  under  the  persuasion  that  the  long  continuance 
of  life  is  certain,  feels  not  the  necessity  of  providing 
for  evils  which  shall  ensue  upon  its  termination. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  necessity  of  dying  occurs  at  a 
period  when  it  is  unthought  of  or  unprovided  for ; 
and  while  the  young  man  is  rejoicing  in  his  youth, 
and  blessing  himself  in  his  heart,  he  is  suddenly 
summoned  to  the  tribunal  of  judgment.  Therefore, 
will  he  exclaim  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart,  "  Oh 
my  God,  take  me  not  away  in  the  midst  of  my 
days." 

But  I  would  again  observe,  that  such  a  destiny 
as  we  are  contemplating  is  productive  of  melan- 
choly feelings,  even  in  those  who  have  no  peculiar 
interest  in  it.  It  is  thus,  because  there  is  an  ap- 
parent frustration  of  the  work  of  nature's  author. 
One  seems  to  be  born,  to  live  and  to  die.  He  has 
not  done  what  man  is  commonly  empowered  to  do. 
He  has  not  fulfilled  the  destiny  ordinarily  assigned 
to  humanity. 


SER.  25.  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  291 

With  this  reflection  is  associated  one  of  the  most 
mournful  and  embarrassing  investigations  in  which 
our  minds  can  be  engaged.     God  is  eternal.     His 
power  is  illimitable.     All  parts  of  his  creation  are 
continually  under  his  view  and  control.     Yet  men 
are  perishing  in  multitudes,  without  cessation,  often 
prematurely.      In  some,    sensation  merely  begins, 
and,  to  our  view,  is  extinguished.     In  others,  there 
are  the  dawnings  of  intellect,  and  darkness  ensues. 
Yet  again,   mind  is  effecting  a  bold   development 
of  its  powers,  when  its  connection  with  the  body  is 
dissolved.     Wherefore   is  it   thus  ?     One  thing  we 
may  be  assured  of.     Troubles  do  not  arise  from  the 
ground.     The  afflictions  of  life   are  not  fortuitous  ; 
death  is  the  Almighty's  minister  ;    all  physical  evils 
exist  with  his  concurrence  and  are  employed  for  his 
purposes.     But  while   God  is  sovereign,  and  good 
or  evil  alike  is  proceeding  from  his  hand,  yet  does 
he  ever  act  in  wisdom,  righteousness,  and  goodness, 
however  imperfectly  we  may  apprehend  the  reasons 
of  his  dispensations. 

In  reference  to  these  reasons,  the  inquiry  resolves 
itself  into  two  branches — the  first  respects  the  gen- 
eral necessity  of  death  ;  the  second,  its  occurrence 
under  particular  circumstances. 

1.  The  general  necessity  of  death  is  the  conse- 
quence of  the  introduction  of  moral  evil  into  the 
works  of  God.  Without  transgression,  would  our 
natures  have  been  subject  to  dissolution  in  the 


292  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  SER.  25. 

painful,  awful  manner  in  which  we  now  observe  it 
to  take  place  ?  Certainly  not.  For  it  is  the  dic- 
tate of  God's  revelation,  that  "  death  entered  into 
the  world  by  sin."  The  one  is  in  a  physical  as 
well  as  moral  sense,  the  cause  of  the  other.  The 
former  is  not  only  the  penalty  but  the  consequence 
of  the  latter  in  the  way  of  nature.  For  vicious 
indulgences  subject  to  disease  and  its  fatal  effects, 
and  the  conduct  enjoined  by  religious  wisdom  is 
that  which  most  conduces  to  long  life.  The  gen- 
eral principle,  then,  is  true,  that  men  die  because 
they  are  sinners.  It  is  the  divine  will  that  our 
moral  degeneracy  should  be  so  punished,  and  upon 
every  human  being  this  penalty  alights.  Yet  this 
necessity  of  dying  to  which  we  are  all  subject, 
originates  in  the  benevolence  as  well  as  in  the  jus- 
tice of  the  Almighty.  God  does  not  intend  us  to 
live  here  always  ;  yet  has  he  not  determined,  that 
the  loss  of  temporal  life  shall  be  to  us  the  loss  of 
all  things.  He  destines  us  for  a  higher  and  nobler 
existence,  provided  we  use  the  means  which  he  has 
graciously  provided  for  our  attaining  to  it.  Death 
is  not  of  necessity  the  extinction  of  our  hopes,  the 
termination  of  our  joys,  the  passage  to  gloom  and 
wretchedness.  It  may  afford  to  hope  its  full  frui- 
tion ;  it  may  give  an  unknown  intensity  and  eleva- 
tion to  our  happiness.  The  hour  in  which  our  very 
being  seems  to  be  put  into  peril,  is  but  the  prelude 
to  immortality. 


SER.  25.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  293 

It  is  therefore  ordained,  that  man,  after  having 
finished  his  career  on  earth,  should  appear  on  a 
higher  stage  of  existence  ; — that  having  here  chosen 
happiness  or  misery,  in  the  obedience  or  disobe- 
dience to  which  they  are  severally  attached,  he 
should  enter  upon  the  enjoyment  of  the  one  or  the 
endurance  of  the  other. 

But,  why  is  it  in  regard  to  some,  that  the  career 
of  life  is  so  soon  run — that  the  period  of  trial  and 
preparation  for  eternity,  is  so  suddenly  and  prema- 
turely terminated.  There  are  various  reasons 
which,  in  reference  to  this  fact,  may  be  supposed  to 
operate.  Some  of  these  have  respect  to  the  dying 
individuals  themselves,  others  to  the  world  in 
general,  from  which  they  are  taken,  or  to  indi- 
viduals more  nearly  connected  with  them.  The 
young  may  be  removed  from  the  evil  to  come. 
Early  piety  may  be  spared  a  conflict  with  the 
temptations  and  evils  of  life.  A  course  of  thought- 
lessness and  irreligion  may  be  interrupted,  and  a 
preparation  for  happiness  induced,  or  the  entrance 
into  eternity  be  made  with  an  inferior  amount  of 
guilt  than  would  have  been  the  consequence  of  a 
prolongation  of  life. 

These  considerations  respect  the  individuals  them- 
selves, to  whom  an  extended  enjoyment  of  human 
life  is  denied.  Upon  others  their  example  may  be 
made  to  exert  a  powerful  and  salutary  influence. 
It  will  serve  to  show  that  life  is  uncertain  as  well 


294  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  25. 

as  brief — that  he  whose  plans  are  predicated  on  the 
presumption  of  attaining  the  utmost  limit  of  human 
existence  on  this  side  the  grave,  may  be  deceived 
cruelly  and  fatally.  In  proportion  as  dissolution 
seems  out  of  the  course  of  nature,  will  be  the  force 
of  the  impression  made  upon  survivors.  An  evil 
unlooked  for  is  most  appalling.  And  when  disease, 
rapidly  and  fatally  terminating,  occurs  in  the  case 
of  one  whose  expectations  of  a  long  life  appear 
natural  and  reasonable,  our  attention  is  arrested — 
our  feelings  excited — we  cherish  at  least  a  mo- 
mentary conviction  that  the  fate  we  are  contem- 
plating, will  surely,  and  may  shortly  be  our  own. 

Such  is  the  monition  given  us  by  the  example  of 
every  human  being  departing  from  this  world — but, 
we  become  familiarized  to  these  scenes,  in  the 
mode  of  their  ordinary  occurrence,  and  it  is  only 
when  there  is  something  peculiar  and  striking  in 
them,  that  they  exert  any  permanent  influence  upon 
our  minds.  Such  a  scene  has  recently  been  wit- 
nessed in  this  community.  This  it  was  which  has 
occasioned  the  remarks  which  have  been  presented 
to  you,  and  which  I  would  now  apply  to  your 
religious  improvement.  I  have  already  suggested, 
that  the  instance  of  mortality  referred  to,  w7as 
marked  by  no  ordinary  circumstances.  It  was  not 
an  aged  man  whom  we  have  lately  seen  descend 
into  the  grave,  in  whom  the  powers  of  life  had 
been  long  and  gradually  exhausting,  and  to  whom 


SER.  25.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  295 

dissolution  should  have  been  the  object  of  hourly 
expectation.  His  was  no  fragile  form,  which 
seemed  inadequate  to  the  exertions,  and  incom- 
petent to  sustain  the  ordinary  ills  of  life.  He  had 
not  endured  a  wasting  and  protracted  disease, 
which  afforded  daily  intimations  of  its  sure  and  fatal 
issue.  He  was  cut  off  in  the  bloom  and  vigor  of 
youth.  He  had  been  nursed  in  the  lap  of  pros- 
perity—he was  the  subject  of  solicitude  to  a  nu- 
merous connection — he  was  the  object  of  affection 
to  many  associates — and  of  all  this  he  was  de- 
serving. But,  with  the  most  flattering  expectations, 
with  anticipations  of  long  life  as  reasonable  as  could 
be  cherished  by  any  human  being,  he  was  cut  off — 
he  perished  suddenly.  And  why  do  we  now  revert 
to  this  mournful  dispensation.  It  is  that  the  living 
may  derive  benefit.  The  example  as  well  as  the 
tongues  of  dying  men,  bespeak  attention.  And 
even  now,  a  voice  seems  to  issue  from  the  tomb, 
declaring  that  not  the  firmness  of  manhood  in  its 
prime — not  the  greatest  earthly  prosperity — not  the 
affection  of  a  parent,  exclaiming  in  agony,  would  ta 
God  I  had  died  for  thee,  my  son — not  the  love,  and 
esteem,  and  prayers  of  numerous  friends,  could  avert 
the  inevitable  hour,  or  save  him  who  was  destined 
to  an  early  grave. 

Oh  how  awful !  how  striking  is  the  lesson  which 
is  thus  afforded  to  us !  In  life  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  death — vanity  is  inscribed  upon  all  earthly  pos- 


296  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  25. 

sessions — the  most  fearful  calamities  may  be  every 
moment  impending,  while  we  are  totally  ignorant  of 
their  approach. 

The  language  then  of  the  late  awful  visitation  of 
Providence  is — Be  ye  also  ready,  for  in  such  an 
hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  stroke  of  death  shall  come. 
Let  me  therefore,  most  earnestly  admonish  and 
adjure  you  to  prepare  diligently  to  meet  your  God. 
The  same  necessity  is  laid  upon  us  all — '  And  after 
death  the  judgment.' 

How  much  more  wise  and  holy  should  we  be, 
could  the  impressions  which  are  sometimes  made 
upon  us,  be  rendered  permanent. 

Now  therefore,  that  you  can  in  some  measure 
estimate  the  precarious  tenure  of  life — the  inse- 
curity of  its  possessions,  and  the  necessity  of  the 
consolations  and  provisions  of  religion — make  your 
determinations  in  regard  to  these  all  important 
subjects. 

The  favor  of  Almighty  God  is  more  than 
wealth — more  than  distinction — more  than  all 
worldly  enjoyment — more  than  life  itself.  For  life 
is  fleeting,  and  its  possessions  perish  in  an  hour. 
The  time  then,  my  friends,  is  short.  God  may 
quickly  call  you  to  his  judgment  seat — and  re- 
member, that  without  holiness  no  man  shall  behold 
his  face  in  peace. 

Most  earnestly  would  I  press  this  subject  upon 
the  attention  of  the  young.  Such  are  prone  to 


SER.  25.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  297 

imagine  that  a  preparation  for  eternity  is  not  a  duty 
which  devolves  upon  them.  But,  ah  !  how  delusive 
is  their  confidence  !  Does  not  the  mournful  occur- 
rence to  which  we  have  referred,  demonstrate  it  ? 
Does  it  not  affectingly  prove  that  the  liability  to 
death  belongs  to  every  period  of  life.  Let  me,  then, 
beseech  you  to  remember  now  your  Creator  in  the 
days  of  your  youth.  Consider  that  an  awful  judg- 
ment is  approaching.  Reflect  how  suddenly  it  may 
come.  And  endeavor  to  prepare  for  a  peaceful 
death,  and  a  happy  immortality. 


38 


298 


SERMON    XXVI. 


A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE. 

Preached  December,  1825,  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of 
Messrs.  James  and  Campble. 


ECCLESIASTES  ix.  5,  6. 

For  the  living  know  that  they  shall  die  :  but  the  dead  know 
not  any  thing,  neither  have  they  any  more  a  reward  ;  for 
the  memory  of  them  is  forgotten.  Also  their  love,  and 
their  hatred,  and  their  envy,  is  now  perished;  neither  have 
they  any  more  a  portion  for  ever  in  any  thing  that  is  done 
under  the  sun. 

THE  states  of  life  and  death  present  themselves 
to  the  imagination  in  strong  contrast,  and  the 
passage  from  the  one  to  the  other,  is,  of  all  the 
trials  which  we  are  called  to  encounter,  beyond 
comparison,  the  most  appalling.  Evils  not  ex- 
tending to  the  dissolution  of  the  mysterious  tie 
connecting  soul  and  body,  require  by  no  means  the 
same  fortitude  in  order  to  a  resolute  endurance  of 


SER.  26.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  299 

them.     There  is  no  unknown  condition  upon  which 
we  are  called  to  enter.     The  suffering  before  us, 
although  severe,  is  distinctly  conceived  by  the  mind. 
It  is  not  of  that  undefined  character  which  pertains 
to  every  thing  beyond  the  grave  ;  a  character  which 
renders  an  anticipated  calamity  the  more  terrible, 
on  account  of  the  opportunity  which  is  thus  afforded 
for  the  imagination  to  exert  its  powerful  influence. 
But  the  troubles  incident  to  life,  are  to  be  entered 
upon  immediately  ;  there  is  no  land  of  darkness  to 
be  gone  through  ;    no  apparent  extinction  of  our 
being  first  to  take  place.     Mankind  are  spectators 
of  our  conduct,  and  of  their  sympathies  and  ap- 
plauses we  are  assured,  while  nobly  sustaining  the 
pressure    of  temporal    ill.     But   in    the    article    of 
death,  ordinary  consolations  fail ;  common  supports 
are  ineffectual.     We  are  doomed  to  sustain  that  of 
which  we  have  had  no  experience.     We  exchange 
conditions  the  most  opposite   imaginable.     We  are 
called  to  relinquish  life  for  death.     Let  us  for  a 
moment  dwell  upon  the  contrast. 

What,  then,  is  life  ?  It  is  to  behold  all  the 
wondrous  productions  of  nature's  Architect;  to  gaze 
on  the  firmament  bright  with  its  suns  and  stars  ;  to 
contemplate  the  earth  smiling  in  beauty  beneath 
our  feet ;  to  be  refreshed  by  the  pure  breath  of 
heaven,  and  to  enjoy  the  numberless  blessings 
which  a  beneficent  Providence  has  scattered  around 
us.  But  life  is  not  merely  converse  with  inanimate 


300  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  26. 

nature,  with  an  experience  of  the  enjoyments  con- 
nected with  it ;  there  is  also  implied  an  intimate 
association  with  intelligent  beings  of  our  own 
species  ;  in  whose  joys  we  sympathize,  and  from 
an  intercourse  with  whom  we  derive  the  most 
heartfelt  pleasure.  There  are  all  the  charities  of 
home,  all  the  joys  of  friendship,  all  the  pure  grat- 
ifications derived  from  the  acquisition  and  commu- 
nication of  knowledge,  to  shed  a  radiance  over  the 
path  which  we  traverse  through  this  world.  During 
the  present  stage  of  our  existence  there  is,  more- 
over, to  be  observed,  an  earnest  devotion  to  the 
toils  of  business,  as  well  as  an  ardent  pursuit  of 
pleasure.  A  generous  concern  for  the  welfare  of  the 
human  race,  fills  the  bosom  of  the  philanthropist. 
The  soul  of  the  patriot  glows  with  a  noble  zeal  for 
the  advancement  of  his  country's  prosperity.  Those 
who  are  connected  together  by  the  ties  of  friendship 
or  kindred,  are  more  specially  interested  to  promote 
each  other's  happiness  ;  and  the  operation  of  these 
various  feelings  renders  the  world  a  theatre  upon 
which  are  exhibited  sentiments  pure  and  mag- 
nanimous ;  actions,  praiseworthy  and  ennobling  to 
human  nature.  But  life  is  not  merely  a  state  joyous 
through  the  experience  of  present  happiness,  illu- 
minated with  the  hope  of  higher  blessings  yet  in 
reserve,  and  dignified  by  the  practice  of  virtue  ;  it 
is  often  darkened  by  misfortune,  and  degraded  by 
crime. 


SER.  26.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  301 

In  considering  the  more  odious  exemplifications 
of  human  character,  we  perceive  men  influenced  by 
hatred  and  envy,  marring  the  tranquillity  and  hap- 
piness of  society,  pursuing  their  selfish  purposes, 
and  looking  to  their  own  aggrandizement.  Yet 
even  in  this  view  of  the  subject,  taking  life  in  its 
good  or  its  ill,  it  is  a  state  of  activity,  of  sensibility, 
and  of  consciousness ;  of  noble  or  ignoble  feeling  ; 
of  virtuous  or  vicious  conduct ;  of  high  happiness  or 
painful  disquietude.  Now  mark  the  change  which 
is  effected.  The  transition  is  made  from  life  to 
death.  The  bustle  has  ceased.  To  the  eye  of  an 
observer,  activity  is  gone  ;  sense  slumbers ;  con- 
sciousness is  extinct  ;  happiness  is  lost.  There 
remains  but  the  outward  form  of  that  which  thought, 
and  felt,  and  acted  ;  and,  oh!  how  changed  !  There 
is  a  fearful  stillness  ;  the  brow  and  cheek  are  pallid  ; 
the  eye  is  glazed  and  motionless.  You  may  address 
it,  it  answers  not ;  your  bosom  may  be  bursting 
with  agonizing  sorrow,  it  is  agitated  with  no  re- 
sponsive emotion.  Even  the  nearest  friends  wish 
removed  from  their  view,  an  object  so  fitted  to  in- 
spire sorrow  for  what  is  gone  by,  and  dread  of  what 
is  yet  to  come.  He  who  has  passed  beyond  the 
boundary  of  human  life,  has  no  more  concern  in  all 
that  is  done  under  the  sun.  "  His  children  come 
to  honor,  and  he  knoweth  it  not ;  they  sink  into 
decay,  and  he  perceiveth  it  not  of  them."  Mu- 
tations, sad  or  joyful,  take  place  in  the  little  circle 


302  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  26. 

in  which  he  mingled  ;  the  great  concerns  of  the 
world  move  on,  and  he  has  neither  agency  in  them, 
nor  knowledge  concerning  them.  In  this  view  it 
does  appear  that  the  dead  know  not  any  thing  ; 
that  their  love,  and  hatred,  and  envy,  are  now  per- 
ished. And  so  far  as  respects  this  world,  the  prin- 
ciple is  incontrovertibly  true  ;  and  it  is  with  this 
reference,  we  must  understand  the  statement  of  the 
inspired  writer.  But  extending  our  views  beyond 
the  darkness  which  gathers  around  the  tomb,  we 
are  assured  there  is  a  state  in  which  those  who  now 
seem  utterly  dead,  shall  exist  still — shall  know 
much,  and  shall  experience  much. 

Were  a  direct  revelation  from  heaven  concerning 
a  future  state  denied  to  us,  the  doctrine  of  our  im- 
mortality would  yet  be  supported  by  arguments 
neither  few  in  number,  nor  inconsiderable  in  value. 
To  some  of  these  I  shall  make  a  passing  reference. 

I.  We  may  ground  our  first  argument  for  the 
soul's  immortality,  upon  the  fact  that  it  is  imma- 
terial ;  pure  spirit,  as  contradistinguished  from  body. 
We  are  fully  apprised  that  there  are  those  who 
confound  the  attributes  of  mind  and  matter,  and 
who  imagine  that  these  substances  are  not  essen- 
tially different  in  their  nature.  It  is  also  under- 
stood how  much  learning  and  ingenuity  have  been 
exercised  upon  this  topic.  Yet  it  is  well  known 
that  the  profoundest  intellectual  philosophers  have 
always  contended  that  the  distinction  in  question  is 


SER.  26.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  303 

obvious  and  immutable.  And  we  shall  not,  there- 
fore, be  guilty  of  presumption  in  asserting  that  the 
adverse  opinion  is  unsupported  by  any  just  principles 
of  philosophizing.  It  does  not  consist  with  our 
present  object,  to  enter  upon  a  full  discussion  of 
this  subject ;  and  it  does  appear  that  the  statement 
of  a  single  fact  is  alone  necessary. 

Neither  mind  nor  matter  are  substances  directly 
perceived  by  the  senses.  They  are  known  by  the 
intervention  of  their  properties,  and  however  prev- 
alent may  be  the  opposite  notion,  the  one  is  quite 
as  mysterious  as  the  other. 

Matter  is  something  which  is  extended,  divisible, 
impenetrable,  inert.  Mind  is  something  which 
thinks,  wills,  desires  ;  which  loves  or  hates,  which 
is  joyful  or  sad.  Now  it  must  be  clear  to  every 
man,  that  there  is  no  analogy  whatever  between 
these  different  classes  of  properties.  It  is  therefore 
utterly  unreasonable  to  assert  that  two  things  are 
identical,  when  all  that  is  known  concerning  them 
is  of  so  opposite  a  character.  The  soul,  then,  is 
not  material  ;  consequently  a  simple,  indivisible 
substance.  If  so,  the  strong  presumption  is,  that  it 
is  immortal.  And  why  ? 

It  does  not  appear  that  one  particle  of  God's 
material  creation  perishes,  amid  the  endless  suc- 
cession of  changes  which  are  continually  passing 
under  view.  Take  the  instance  of  the  human  body. 
At  the  period  of  death,  its  organization  is  destroyed ; 


304  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  26. 

the  particles  of  which  it  is  composed  are  separated ; 
the  complicated  machinery  is  destroyed,  but  not 
one  element  ceases  to  be.  Nothing,  then,  in  the 
material  world  perishes  ;  it  is  subject  to  endless 
mutations,  but  it  still  exists.  It  is  therefore  con- 
trary to  the  whole  analogy  of  nature,  that  the  soul 
should  cease  to  be.  Were  its  attributes  the  result 
of  material  organization,  the  destruction  of  that 
would  involve  the  loss  of  those  attributes.  But  the 
soul  being  a  simple  substance,  is  incapable  of  dis- 
solution. No  accident  can  terminate  its  existence. 
The  direct  volition  of  the  creating  Power  is  neces- 
sary to  its  destruction.  Instead,  therefore,  of  ar- 
guing that  because  in  death  the  body  perishes,  so 
must  the  soul  likewise ;  it  is  far  more  correct  to 
infer,  that  since  not  one  particle  of  man's  inferior 
part  sinks  into  non-existence,  the  soul  also  shall 
survive,  and  think,  and  act,  and  have  experience  of 
happiness  or  misery,  when  this  glorious  frame  of 
nature  shall  have  passed  away. 

Again,  this  conclusion  becomes  exceedingly  prob- 
able, when  we  consider  the  actual  progress  of  men 
toward  intellectual  and  moral  perfection,  and  the 
unlimited  capacities  for  improvement  which  dis- 
tinguish them.  Let  us  bring  under  our  view  the 
instance  of  a  man  who  in  mature  life  has  fulfilled 
the  promise  given  by  the  early  development  of  his 
powers — who  is  successively  traversing  new  regions 
of  knowledge — whose  mental  activity  is  untiring, 


SER.  26.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  305 

and  the  results  of  it  most  honorable  to  human 
nature.  Let  us  add,  that  with  genius  and  erudition 
are  associated  religion  and  virtue.  With  these  en- 
dowments, he  attains  to  elevated  happiness  himself, 
and  becomes  a  powerful  agent  in  promoting  the 
general  good.  But  after  years  of  unwearied  appli- 
cation and  indefatigable  labor — when  he  is  ap- 
parently just  fitted  for  great  usefulness — when  there 
is  no  limit  to  his  advancement  yet  presented  to 
view,  he  is  cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living  ! 
And  can  we  believe  that  in  death  all  is  lost  ?  Are 
the  noble  energies  of  mind  subdued  ?  Is  the  warm 
current  of  feeling  frozen  up  ?  Is  the  patriot,  the 
philosopher — above  all,  the  virtuous  and  pious  man, 
become  in  no  respect  different  from  the  clod  of 
earth  upon  which  we  tread  ?  If  there  be  not  an 
hereafter,  such  is  the  mournful  termination  in  which 
issue  all  the  labors,  all  the  aspirations  of  men. 
And  this  is  to  be  observed  not  in  one  or  a  few  in- 
stances. Multitudes  of  minds  exist  merely  that 
they  may  begin  to  evolve  their  powers — that  they 
may  enter  with  ardor  on  the  career  of  excellence — 
that  they  may  successively  make  attainments  which 
only  serve  to  introduce  to  other  and  higher  ones, 
and  then  perish  in  the  morning  or  noonday  of  life. 
What  conclusion  are  we  to  derive  from  this  fact  ? 
Certainly  one  most  favorable  to  the  principle  which 
we  are  establishing.  For,  believing  that  the  Al- 
mighty is  infinitely  wise,  and  that  he  has  formed 
39  " 


306  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  26. 

nothing  in  vain,  we  must  also  believe  that  the 
present  life  is  only  the  beginning — a  very  small 
portion  of  that  endless  existence  which  is  assigned 
to  us.  And  it  may  be  added,  that  a  sure  pledge  of 
this  fact  is  furnished  by  the  warm  aspirations  after 
immortality  felt  by  the  virtuous,  and  the  dread  of 
it  which  is  experienced  by  the  wicked.  Let  it  not 
be  said  that  these  feelings  are  the  product  of  super- 
stition. They  are  and  have  been  universally  ex- 
perienced ; — they  are  irresistibly  impressed  upon 
human  nature ; — they  are  excited  by  the  Divinity 
which  speaks  within  us. 

The  considerations  which  have  been  briefly  re- 
ferred to,  might,  in  the  absence  of  clearer  evidence, 
be  sufficient  to  induce  such  a  conviction  of  the 
reality  of  a  future  state,  as  might  become  a  rational 
principle  of  action.  But  God  has  not  left  us  to  the 
defective  instruction  to  be  derived  from  the  light  of 
nature.  He  has  revealed  the  truths  essential  to 
our  virtue  and  happiness  ;  and  among  these,  is  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  life  and  a  coming  retribution. 
With  the  sure  and  ample  testimony  of  Jehovah's 
word,  our  principle,  that  notwithstanding  an  ap- 
parent cessation  of  being,  the  dead  know  much  and 
experience  much,  must  be  admitted  without  hesi- 
tation. But  concerning  the  particulars  of  that 
knowledge  or  experience,  we  have  no  adequate 
information.  The  gospel  allows  an  obscurity  to 
rest  over  it,  because  the  Almighty  designed  not  to 


SER.  26.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  307 

gratify  our  curiosity,  but  to  furnish  us  with  motives 
to  action,  and  encouragements  to  duty.  And  in  the 
latter  view,  the  revelation  of  one  great  and  general 
principle  is  amply  sufficient.  It  is  this,  "  We  shall 
exist  hereafter  in  happiness  or  misery,  accordingly 
as  we  have  in  this  life  acted  in  subservience  or 
opposition  to  the  divine  will." 

Viewing  death,  therefore,  not  as  the  era  of  ex- 
tinguished but  of  renovated  being,  as  the  precursor 
of  events  deeply  influencing  our  destiny,  we  are 
prepared  to  feel  how  momentous  is  the  reflection 
contained  in  the  text,  "  The  living  know  that  they 
must  die."  Can  any  one  doubt  of  this  fact  ?  Your 
fathers,  wThere  are  they  ?  What  has  become  of 
nations  and  whole  generations  who  have  perished 
from  the  earth  ?  Where  are  James  and  Campble  ? 
They  are  not  before  you  in  the  vigor  of  life  as  at 
the  period  of  your  former  assembling  together. 
You  do  not  even  behold  the  sad  relics  of  what 
they  were.  The  dark  and  quiet  grave  has  become 
their  habitation.  The  lapse  of  one  year  has  left 
you  in  possession  of  life  and  happiness  ;  it  has  fixed 
their  destiny.  They  have  no  more  portion  forever  in 
all  that  is  done  under  the  sun.  It  is  well,  gentle- 
men, that  you  do  not  permit  their  descent  to  the 
tomb  to  pass  unobserved.  Respect  for  those  who 
have  long  co-operated  with  you  in  the  discharge  of 
your  important  duties; — affection  toward  those 
whom  you  have  loved  as  friends, — and  a  due  atten- 


308  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  SER.  26. 

tion  to  the  Almighty's  visitation,  all  concur  in 
enforcing  the  propriety  of  paying  fit  honors  to  the 
dead,  while  the  living  may  be  taught  their  duty, 
and  be  admonished  that  the  hour  of  their  trial  is 
also  approaching.  Yet  the  minister  of  Jesus  Christ 
does  not  feel  it  incumbent  upon  him  to  pronounce 
an  eulogy  upon  your  respected  and  departed  broth- 
ers, however  deserved  it  might  be,  or  however  cor- 
respondent with  the  feelings  of  every  bosom  in  this 
assembly.  The  dead  are  not  benefited  by  our 
praises.  Kindred  and  friends  require  no  one  to 
instruct  them  concerning  the  greatness  of  their  loss, 
and  you  who  have  been  less  closely  connected  with 
those  of  whom  we  speak,  are  far  better  acquainted 
with  their  worth  than  he  who  now  addresses  you. 
You  have  already  given  an  assurance  of  your  respect 
for  their  memory,  and  regret  on  account  of  their 
loss,  and  it  is  more  important  that  I  should  endeavor 
to  make  this  visitation  of  divine  Providence,  an 
instrument  of  good  to  you,  by  reminding  you,  that 
to  all  of  you  the  inevitable  hour  is  approaching  ; 
that  death  is  impending  over  you,  and  that  an  awful 
judgment  shall  surely  succeed. 

Let  me,  in  concluding,  dwell  a  moment  on  this 
all-important  consideration.  The  time  is  coming 
when  you  will  feel  it  to  be  such.  The  most  joyous 
spirit  among  you  will  be  sad  when  dissolution 
approaches.  Ambitions  fire  shall  be  extinct,  pride 
will  be  abased,  talents  and  learning  avail  you 


SER.  26.  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  309 

nothing,  and  eloquence  be  dumb.  Your  connection 
with  this  world  shall  cease  ;  its  business  or  its 
pleasure  concerns  you  not.  It  can  furnish  to  you 
neither  occasion  of  anxiety  nor  matter  of  consola- 
tion. The  favor  of  the  Almighty  will  then  be  felt 
to  be  the  only  and  the  sovereign  good,  for  you  will 
pass  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  and  your 
unchangeable  portion  be  pure  happiness  or  unmiti- 
gated wretchedness.  How  may  you  provide  against 
this  crisis  of  your  destiny  ?  How  shall  you  be 
enabled  to  lift  up  your  head  with  joy  and  hope 
amid  the  wreck  of  nature  ? 

I  am  not  to  say  to  you,  that  these  objects  will  be 
attained  by  being  wise  legislators,  honest  men, 
worthy  citizens,  amiable  in  all  social  and  domestic 
relations.  This  is  not  enough.  I  am  a  believer  in 
the  gospel  revelation,  and  I  address  you  as  believers 
also.  I  am  persuaded  that  your  character,  and  obli- 
gations, and  actual  condition  are  such  as  are  therein 
described.  I  must,  therefore,  regard  you  as  subject 
to  a  melancholy  corruption  of  nature,  and  as  having, 
in  consequence  of  your  transgressions,  fallen  under 
the  Almighty's  displeasure.  I  cannot,  therefore, 
hope  that  you  will  die  in  peace  and  be  happy  for- 
ever, otherwise  than  by  using  the  prescribed  means 
of  salvation,  by  access  to  God  through  the  ap- 
pointed Mediator. 

Cherish,  then,  I  beseech  you,  an  abiding  convic- 
tion, that  the  career  of  life  is  run  under  the  inspec- 


310  A    FUNERAL    DISCOURSE.  SER.  26. 

tion  of  infinite  wisdom  and  holiness.  Obey  every 
impulse  to  duty,  whether  it  respects  the  welfare  of 
your  fellow  men,  the  honor  of  the  great  Being  who 
formed  you,  or  your  own  eternal  salvation.  Avail 
yourselves  of  the  opportunities  furnished  to  you  by 
the  Almighty's  forbearance  and  grace.  Let  the 
redemption  provided  by  his  Son  be  the  ground  of 
your  hope,  the  purifying  influences  of  his  Spirit  the 
object  of  your  prayers.  And  then,  what  though 
life  be  precarious,  death  inevitable  and  dreadful, 
and  judgment  not  to  be  avoided — you  are  secure 
under  all  circumstances.  This  world  will  fade  upon 
your  view,  but  you  will  pass  into  one  infinitely 
more  glorious  ;  a  short  but  gloomy  night  shall  dawn 
into  a  bright  and  eternal  day ;  and  for  the  tempo- 
rary loss  of  earthly  friends,  you  will  receive  abun- 
dant compensation  in  the  exhaustless  happiness 
springing  from  the  favor  of  God,  eternal,  all- 
sufficient,  all-merciful. 


311 


SERMON    XXVII 


A  FUNEkAL  DISCOURSE. 


MATTHEW    XVI.    24. 

Then  said  Jesus  unto  his  disciples,  If  any  man  will  come 
after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  vp  his  cross,  and 
follow  me. 

INSTANCES  often  occur  in  the  evangelical  history, 
where  the  apprehensions  of  the  disciples  were  ex- 
ceedingly erroneous,  and  where,  in  consequence,, 
their  conduct  was  marked  by  much  impropriety.  A 
striking  exemplification  of  this  observation  is  given 
in  the  context.  When  their  master  announced  to 
them  his  approaching  sufferings  and  death,  the 
communication  was  not  received  with  sad  and  silent 
submission.  Peter,  with  his  characteristic  impetu- 
osity, full  of  love  to  the  person  and  zeal  for  the 
cause  of  his  Lord,  yet  utterly  forgetful  of  the  def- 


312  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  27. 

erence  due  to  him — ventured  to  indulge  in  strong 
remonstrances.  "  Be  it  far  from  thee,  Lord,  this 
shall  not  be  unto  thee."  It  was  after  rebuking  this 
ill-advised  interference,  and  referring  to  the  principle 
in  which  it  had  its  origin,  that  Jesus  Christ  ad- 
dressed his  disciples  in  the  language  of  the  text. 

The  object  at  present  had  in  view,  is  to  illustrate 
this  passage  in  its  primary  reference,  and  then  to 
consider  it  as  applicable  to  ourselves.  There  are 
two  things  involved  in  the  text.  In  the 

1st  place — What  is  implied  in  being  a  disciple 
of  Christ  ? 

2d: — The  encouragement  to  assume  that  character, 
notwithstanding  the  difficulties  which  may  present 
themselves  in  the  way. 

I.  Our  Lord's  reference  here  is  to  permanent 
discipleship.  "  If  any  man  will  come  after  me  " — not 
merely  for  a  time  seek  my  society,  through  curi- 
osity ;  but  attach  himself  altogether  to  my  person 
and  cause — "  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his 
cross,  and  follow  me." 

1.  Let  him  be  prepared  in  many  instances 
to  act  in  opposition  to  his  natural  desires — to 
renounce  his  old  prejudices — to  abandon  all  hope  of 
worldly  distinction.  To  such  sacrifices  were  they 
called,  who  in  the  early  ages  of  Christianity,  became 
professors  or  apostles  of  our  holy  religion.  The  love 
of  ease  and  a  disposition  to  pleasure,  are  natural  to 
man — but,  how  could  they  be  indulged  amid  the 


SER.  27.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  313 

storm  of  persecution,  and  while  the  world  was  yet 
unconverted.  During  the  earthly  ministry  of  their 
Master,  danger  was  not  so  imminent  as  it  afterward 
became.  But  the  accomplishment  of  his  sufferings 
was  the  beginning  of  their  trials.  They  underwent 
labors — sustained  privations — and  encountered  evils 
most  appalling  to  flesh  and  blood.  They  thus  at 
once  denied  themselves,  took  up  their  cross,  and 
imitated  their  Master  in  the  active  usefulness  of 
their  lives,  and  in  their  extreme  devotion  to  the 
service  of  the  gospel. 

And,  in  attending  on  duties  so  arduous,  did  they 
labor  in  vain  ?  In  their  distress,  had  they  no  con- 
solation ?  Was  it  unmingled,  unmitigated  evil, 
which  they  endured?  By  no  means.  Although 
the  course  which  they  accomplished  was  marked  by 
toils  innumerable — although  its  passage  was  through 
gloom — and  its  termination  was  frequently  in  pre- 
mature and  violent  death — they  were  happy — they 
had  reason  to  glory,  even  in  tribulation — futurity 
contained  in  its  bosom  abundant  compensation  for 
all  their  distresses.  A  day  of  retribution  was 
coming.  The  Son  of  Man  should  appear  in  the 
glory  of  the  Father,  with  his  angels,  and  reward 
every  man  according  to  his  works.  And  then, 
whosoever  shall  in  the  present  world  have  saved  his 
life,  in  violation  of  religious  duty,  and  in  opposition 
to  conscience,  shall  lose  it  eternally.  But,  who- 
soever shall  have  incurred  death  for  the  sake  of 
40 


314  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  27. 

Christ,  shall  be  rewarded  with  an  eternal  existence 
in  happiness. 

The  general  instruction  then,  to  be  derived  from 
this  passage  is — That  it  is  our  duty  to  make  a 
profession  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  to  act  con- 
sistently with  that  profession — and  that  there  are 
the  most  forcible  motives  to  induce  a  performance 
of  this  duty. 

It  is  our  duty  to  make  a  sincere  profession  of 
religion.  Yet  it  is  an  arduous  duty.  Our  corruption 
throws  many  obstacles  in  the  way  of  our  entrance 
on  a  life  of  piety — and  still  continues  to  embarrass 
us  in  our  progress,  when  the  first  difficulties  are 
surmounted.  Cherished  pleasures,  incompatible  with 
the  service  of  God,  must  be  relinquished — evil 
passions,  however  long  indulged,  must  be  subdued — 
exercises  for  which  the  natural  heart  has  no  relish, 
must  be  engaged  in — and,  instead  of  living  in 
thoughtlessness  or  impiety,  we  must  in  spirit 
worship  our  heavenly  Father — we  must  meditate  on 
his  precepts  and  embrace  his  promises.  We  must 
receive  the  Redeemer  in  all  his  offices — regarding 
his  instructions,  and  obeying  his  precepts,  while  we 
repose  in  the  most  unlimited  manner  on  his  atone- 
ment. 

Now,  to  such  beings  as  we  are,  prone  to  be  lovers 
of  pleasure  more  than  of  God — swayed  by  de- 
pravity— and  averse  from  the  exercises  of  devotion 
and  the  duties  of  religion — the  undertaking  to  which 


SER.  27.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  315 

we  are  called  is  a  formidable  one  in  itself — and, 
viewed  in  connection  with  the  natural  inclinations  of 
our  hearts,  would  be  deemed  impracticable.  And 
for  this  reason  it  is  that  the  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  necessary  for  the  renewal  of  our  souls,  in 
order  that  those  who  have  been  the  servants  of  sin, 
should  become  the  servants  of  righteousness — those 
who  have  been  alienated  from  God,  should  sincerely 
love  him — those  who  have  been  neglectors  of  the 
gospel  salvation,  should  cordially  embrace  it. 

But,  in  the  progress  of  conversion,  or  during  the 
continuance  of  those  feelings  which  seem  to  promise 
this  result,  after  the  judgment  is  convinced  that  the 
path  of  piety  is  the  only  path  of  safety,  and  when 
the  heart  no  longer  cherishes  an  opposition  to  it, 
still  there  are  difficulties  felt  in  making  the  final 
decision — in  actually  passing  out  of  the  world,  and 
becoming  separated  from  its  evils  ;  its  forgetfulness 
of  God ;  its  ensnaring  and  dangerous  pleasures  ;  its 
inattention  to  the  things  which  are  unseen.  The 
mind  vacillates  in  uncertainty  ;  the  sense  of  duty 
impels  to  action — but  our  purpose  is  infirm,  and 
clogged  by  the  unsanctified  affections  which  still 
exist  in  our  bosoms,  and  every  difficulty  which 
stands  in  our  way,  is  magnified  into  most  unrea- 
sonable importance. 

What  then  are  the  circumstances  which  induce 
this  hesitation  in  adopting  the  course  of  conduct 
which  duty  and  interest  alike  enjoin  ?  We  have 


A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  27. 

not  to  face  the  evils,  nor  to  encounter  the  trials, 
which  the  primitive  Christians  endured — much  less 
those  which  were  the  portion  of  the  apostles  of  our 
religion.  Neither  our  own  early  imbibed  prejudices, 
nor  the  sentiments  of  the  world,  nor  the  constituted 
authorities,  are  now  in  opposition  to  Christianity  in 
general.  A  profession  of  it,  subjects  us  to  no  disa- 
bilities— nor  involves  us  in  any  corporeal  suffering. 
But,  amid  these  favorable  circumstances,  it  is  still 
true,  that  the  course  of  the  world  is  widely  diverse 
from  that  which  must  be  pursued  by  the  Christian — 
and  in  passing  from  the  former  into  the  latter,  we 
have  to  make  some  sacrifices,  which  although  in- 
trinsically nothing,  are  nevertheless,  in  our  view 
somewhat  appalling.  A  great  and  sudden  change 
of  conduct  must  in  every  instance,  be  the  result  of  a 
vigorous  effort — and  when  this  can  be  made  with 
the  entire  concurrence  of  the  judgment  and  affec- 
tions— yet,  the  being  placed  before  the  world  in  an 
attitude  entirely  new,  is  to  many  considerably  em- 
barrassing. Add  to  this,  that  former  associates 
stare  upon  us — that  we  may  become  objects  of 
thoughtless  ridicule,  or  of  malicious  sarcasm.  And 
why  is  it  so  ?  Is  not  wisdom — is  not  true  dignity — 
is  not  every  thing  that  is  amiable,  combined  in  the 
Christian  character.  It  is  strange  that  many  who 
neither  attempt  to  deny  the  truth  of  scripture  dec- 
larations, nor  the  obligation  of  scripture  duties, 
endeavor  notwithstanding,  to  place  in  a  ridiculous 


SER.  27.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  317 

light  those  who  are  determined  to  act  consistently 
with  the  dictates  of  duty — and,  as  in  their  inter- 
course with  the  vicious,  some  become  ashamed  of 
the  reputation  of  virtue — so  among  the  thoughtless, 
others  become  afraid  of  the  imputation  of  serious 
piety.  But  as  in  reference  to  the  fiery  persecution 
which  they  were  called  to  undergo,  our  Lord  ad- 
monished his  hearers  to  fear  not  those  who  can 
destroy  the  body,  and  after  that  have  nothing  which 
they  can  do  ;  but  to  fear  Him  who  could  destroy 
both  soul  and  body  in  hell — so  I  would  now  ad- 
monish you  all  not  to  let  any  temporal  considerations 
whatever,  interfere  with  the  performance  of  a  duty 
of  the  last  importance.  Be  willing  to  make  any 
sacrifice  of  your  ease,  of  your  worldly  reputation, 
of  your  strongest  inclinations,  thankful  that  God  has 
not  called  you  to  a  severer  trial.  It  is  only  necessary 
that  you  be  reminded  that  your  eternal  interests  are 
at  stake. 

Salvation  only  belongs  to  the  Christian.  Will 
any  proof  of  this  be  needed  ?  The  very  record  that 
reveals  a  heaven  to  come,  limits  its  enjoyment  to  the 
humble  and  obedient  believer.  But  who  is  such  an 
one,  unless  it  be  he  who  follows  Christ — who  as- 
sumes a  gospel  profession. 

There  may  be  some  whose  feelings  are  pious,  and 
who  have  obtained  hope  in  God,  that  are  yet  without 
the  pale  of  the  visible  church.  But  if  they  long 
continue  thus,  their  conduct  is  very  unwise  and 


318  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  27. 

exceedingly  criminal.  It  is  very  unwise,  because 
they  exclude  themselves  from  the  consolation,  and 
strength  and  encouragement  which  may  be  derived 
from  a  participation  with  believers  in  the  peculiar 
ordinances  of  the  gospel.  It  is  highly  criminal, 
because  our  Redeemer  requires  an  open  recognition 
of  his  authority,  and  reason  prompts  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  if  we  love  the  cause  of  God,  we  would 
not  withhold  from  it  even  the  feeble  support  which 
might  be  derived  from  such  avowed  advocates  as 
ourselves. 

A  sincere  profession  of  the  gospel,  therefore,  with 
a  life  in  consistency  with  it,  presents  the  only  course 
which  can  be  safely  traversed  through  life.  It  is 
the  inheritance  of  eternal  life  which  we  seek.  Is 
there  any  thing  which  can  be  brought  into  compar- 
ison with  it  ?  There  is  not.  "  For  what  would  it 
profit  a  man,  were  he  to  gain  the  whole  world  and 
lose  his  own  soul?"  Surely  I  need  not  dwell  on 
this  momentous  consideration.  The  loss  of  the  soul 
is  the  loss  of  happiness  through  ages  which  cannot 
be  numbered,  and  which  shall  never  end  ;  and  this 
is  the  awful  penalty  incurred  by  those  who  prefer 
the  transient  gratifications  of  sin  to  the  Almighty's 
favor.  And  how  astonishing  that  there  should  be 
such  a  preference.  For  what  is  time  to  eternity? 
the  joys  or  sorrows  of  the  one  to  the  blessedness  or 
wretchedness  of  the  other  ? 

With  this  good  and  this  evil  in  prospect,  you  are 


SER.  27.  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  319 

now  called  upon  to  make  your  deliberate  and  solemn 
election.  The  question  in  respect  to  you  is  not 
whether  you  will  choose  misery  now,  in  order  to 
secure  felicity  hereafter ;  no  such  severe  alternative 
is  presented  to  you.  The  conduct  to  which  you  are 
called,  requires  no  such  painful  sacrifice  on  your 
part.  In  saving  your  souls,  you  may  still  possess 
all  that  is  valuable  in  life.  Choose,  therefore, 
in  this  most  important  concern — choose  life,  and 
quickly,  or  you  may  not  be  permitted  to  do  it  at  all. 
We  are  accustomed  often  to  warn  you  of  the  pre- 
carious tenure  of  life  ;  but  while  our  admonitions  fall 
on  your  ears,  they  do  not  affect  your  hearts.  Yet 
at  this  time  they  may,  for  we  have  had  immediately 
under  our  view  an  awful  and  melancholy  exempli- 
fication of  the  truth  that  "  all  flesh  is  as  grass  ;  " 
and  we  may  be  prepared  to  feel  how  wise  is  that 
caution,  "  Boast  not  thyself  of  to-morrow,  for  thou 
knowest  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth."  It  is  but 
a  short  time  since  we  last  assembled  in  this  house 
of  God.  There  was  one  who  then  engaged  with 
us  in  our  solemn  worship  ;  who,  to  all  appearance, 
was  as  much  assured  of  the  continuance  of  life  as 
any  one  of  us ;  and  who  knew  not  that  she  was  for 
the  last  time  listening  to  the  words  of  eternal  life. 
Here  we  beheld  her ;  and  on  the  third  day  we 
were  called  to  visit  the  house  of  mourning.  The 
instrument  of  the  Almighty  had  performed  its  office. 
The  soul  had  fled  from  its  earthly  habitation ;  and 


320  A  FUNERAL  DISCOURSE.  SER.  27. 

*\  vt" 

among  a  numerous  family,  there  was  lamentation, 
and  weeping,  and  wo,  at  the  desolation  of  their 
happiness. 

Brethren,  has  not  the  Almighty  in  this  dispen- 
sation, addressed  to  each  one  of  us  a  warning  voice  ? 
Shall  we  still  remain  insensible  ?  Amid  all  the 
monitions  of  approaching  danger,  shall  the  day  of 
the  Lord  yet  surprise  us  ?  What  has  been,  may 
occur  again  ;  and  some  one  of  us  may  as  suddenly 
be  called  to  the  Almighty's  presence,  as  was  our 
departed  friend.  And  who  shall  that  one  be  ?  It 
is  to  us  unknown  ;  and  amid  this  awful  uncertainty 
it  becomes  each  one  of  us  to  act  as  if  himself  were 
the  individual  whose  doom  is  fixed.  And  it  is  true 
that  the  inevitable  hour  is  rapidly  approaching  us 
all.  We  must  all  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ  ;  and  who  may  abide  in  the  day  of  his 
coming  ?  Those  only  who  become  interested  in 
the  salvation  now  offered  through  the  redemption  of 
Jesus ;  who  deny  themselves,  and  take  up  their 
cross  and  follow  him. 

Let  such  be  our  conduct,  my  friends  ;  and  should 
sorrows  come,  they  will  not  find  us  unprovided  for 
them ;  the  prospect  of  death,  though  awful,  shall 
not  fill  us  with  despair  ;  and  on  the  day  of  judgment 
we  shall  hear  our  Lord's  approving  voice,  "  Come, 
ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  pre- 
pared for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 


321 


SERMON    XXVIII. 

A  SERMON  FOR  THE  NEW  YEAR. 

Preached  January  1,  1825. 


•.*)!}a$}8fy:9  i-yo  io  r.  w  911  1  9ltf)ft8floo 

HEBREWS    Xl.     13. 

confessed  that  they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims  on 
the  earth. 

THE  terms  in  which  the  ancient  patriarchs  spoke 
of  the  present  life  are  remarkable.  They  did  not 
regard  this  earth  as  their  home.  They  considered 
their  existence  in  the  world  that  now  is,  as  a 
pilgrimage,  a  sojourning  in  a  foreign  land,  where 
progress  was  continually  making  towards  their  final 
home.  They  were  not  satisfied  with  an  earthly 
inheritance.  They  looked  forward  to  a  better 
because  a  heavenly  country.  As  an  evidence  of  the 
existence  of  this  sentiment,  take  the  answrer  of  the 
patriarch  Jacob  to  the  king  of  Egypt  —  "  The  days 
of  the  years  of  my  pilgrimage  are  an  hundred  and 
41 


322  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  SER.  28. 

thirty  years  ;  few  and  evil  have  the  days  of  the 
years  of  my  life  been,  and  have  not  attained  to  the 
days  of  the  years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers,  in  the 
days  of  their  pilgrimage."  To  this  we  may  add 
the  declaration  of  Israel's  king  and  prophet — "  We 
are  strangers  before  thee  and  sojourners  as  were  all 
our  fathers,  our  days  on  the  earth  are  as  a  shadow 
and  there  is  none  abiding." 

To  show  that  there  is  great  propriety  in  the 
representation  would  not  be  a  difficult  task.  In  the 
first  place  reflect  on  the  short  continuance  of  human 
life,  when  contrasted  with  that  duration  which  shall 
constitute  the  whole  term  of  our  existence.  Men 
have  lived  for  centuries,  and  their  days  have  now 
become  limited  to  the  general  measure  of  fourscore 
years.  But  in  the  former  case,  as  in  the  latter, 
their  lives  are  as  an  handbreadth  when  compared 
with  the  ages  on  ages,  during  which  the  inhabitants 
of  another  world  shall  exist.  Let  us  take  the  case 
of  an  individual  who  died  in  the  earlier  period  of 
the  world  ;  let  us  estimate  the  years  which  have 
passed  since  that  event ;  let  us  pass  through  many 
intervening  centuries  to  the  period  when  the  present 
state  of  things  shall  no  longer  exist ;  let  us  extend 
our  views  as  far  as  possible  into  that  eternity  which 
is  to  come,  and  let  us  imagine  the  inquiry  addressed 
to  such  an  one.  In  what  light,  while  taking  a 
retrospect  of  your  existence,  do  you  regard  that 
portion  of  it  which  was  spent  on  earth,  and  what  im- 


SER.  28.  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  323 

portance  do  you  attach  to  it?  He  would  answer,  as 
a  term  of  probation  in  which  eternal  life  was  either 
to  be  lost  or  won, — it  is  an  era  awfully  interesting — 
never  to  be  forgotten.  But  as  respects  its  duration 
and  in  regard  to  the  degree  of  concern  which  should 
be  felt  in  relation  to  its  events,  it  no  more  presses 
upon  his  remembrance,  than  a  night  of  agreeable  or 
disagreeable  accommodation  on  a  journey  exists  in 
the  recollection  of  the  traveller  who  has  long  since 
reached  his  wished-for  home.  And  it  is  in  this 
manner  that  human  life  shall  hereafter  exist  in  the 
memory  of  us  all ;  it  is  thus  we  should  now  re- 
gard it. 

Moreover,  the  fact  that  we  are  "  strangers  and 
pilgrims  on  the  earth,"  will  farther  appear  from  the 
total  want  of  permanency  characteristic  of  our  pos- 
sessions and  of  our  joys.  However  desirable  may 
be  the  circumstances  under  which  we  are  placed — 
however  disposed  we  may  be  to  indulge  in  repose, 
and  to  be  satisfied  with  our  present  portion — this  is 
not  permitted  to  us.  No  one  knows  when  the 
warning  to  depart  shall  be  given — when  life's  almost 
untasted  feast  shall  be  hastily  abandoned.  We  are 
perpetually  hurried  onward  to  the  accomplishment 
of  our  destiny.  The  joys  of  yesterday  may  not  re- 
turn to-day  or  to-morrow.  From  infancy  we  pass 
to  manhood — to  old  age  —  to  the  darkness  and 
silence  of  the  tomb.  And  the  issue  of  all  in  regard 
to  the  pious  man,  is  an  entrance  on  a  world  which 


324  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  SER.  28. 

shall  not  pass  away — on  the  enjoyment  of  happiness 
which  shall  not  fail — on  a  state  of  being  where 
shall  exist  in  full  perfection  all  the  endearing  attri- 
butes of  home.  There,  sorrow  shall  not  come  ; 
painful  vicissitude  will  be  unknown.  There  is 
therefore  something  exceedingly  striking  and  appro- 
priate in  the  designation  of  life  as  a  journey.  It  is 
so  in  reality  ;  and  while  passing  through  it  we  are 
on  a  pilgrimage,  the  accomplishment  of  which  will 
be  attended  by  the  most  delightful  or  calamitous 
results  to  us,  accordingly  as  we  are  received  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  or  have  our  portion  assigned 
to  us  among  those  who  have  not  obeyed  the  gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

From  this  view  of  the  subject,  many  interesting 
and  important  reflections  arise.  We  do  not  now 
prosecute  them.  We  have  in  view  a  specific  ob- 
ject, and  we  shall  attain  this  by  attending  to  the 
following  inference  from  the  statement  which  has 
been  made.  "  It  is  wise  at  certain  stages  of  our 
career,  and  after  particular  intervals  of  time,  to  call 
ourselves  to  an  account — to  take  a  retrospect  of  the 
past — to  look  into  futurity,  and  to  mark  out  for 
ourselves  such  a  course  of  conduct  as  may  be  con- 
sistent with  duty,  and  conduce  to  our  own  well- 
being." 

The  finished  revolution  of  one  year  and  the  com- 
mencement of  another,  invite  our  minds  to  medita- 
tions which  may  be  appropriate  to  the  season. 


SER.  28.  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  325 

Life  is  a  journey,  to  the  termination  of  which,  at 
an  earlier  or  later  period,  we  must  all  look.  One 
stage  of  that  journey  is  now  accomplished.  We 
are  entering  upon  another.  Let  us  pause  to  review 
the  occurrences  of  the  past.  The  retrospect  will 
in  most  instances  be  productive  of  mingled  emotions. 
There  are  things  which  we  can  remember  with  joy, 
and  there  are  those  which  we  recollect  with  sorrow. 
Mercies  have  been  received  and  privileges  enjoyed  ; 
schemes  of  happiness  baffled,  and  hopes  withered. 
Yet  from  them  all,  may  wisdom  derive  matter  for 
instruction,  and  motives  to  gratitude.  The  same 
Almighty  hand  which  formed  us,  has  guided  us 
through  the  dangers  of  the  past — life  and  its  enjoy- 
ments have  been  preserved  to  us,  and  amid  the 
numerous  examples  which  have  been  given  of  the 
fragility  of  human  existence,  it  has  not  been  our  lot 
to  furnish  any  one  of  these.  To  us  it  has  been 
assigned  to  continue  the  career  of  life,  and  to  pluck 
the  various  pleasures  which,  on  all  sides,  woo  our 
acceptance.  Whether  derived  from  sense,  from 
taste,  from  intellect,  from  the  pure  affections  of 
our  nature,  numberless  enjoyments  have  irradiated 
our  path,  and  perhaps  no  calamity  has  visited  us 
which  has  produced  a  gloom  in  our  minds  more 
abiding  than  the  hour  which  gave  it  birth.  If,  in 
respect  to  his  dispensations  toward  you  the  Almighty 
has  crowned  the  year  with  his  goodness,  your  obli- 
gation to  cherish  gratitude  and  love  toward  him  is 


326  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  SER.  28. 

too  obvious  to  require  mention.  Considered  in 
itself,  jour  lot  has  been  most  happy  ;  contrasted 
with  the  portion  of  others,  it  has  been  a  singularly 
blessed  one.  For  to  the  great  mass  of  mankind,  a 
mingled  cup  is  presented,  and  he  who  rejoices  in 
one  hour  may  mourn  in  the  next.  And  to  this 
statement  it  may  be  that  the  experience  of  many 
of  you  has  been  conformed.  In  looking  back  on 
the  path  which  you  have  hitherto  pursued,  there 
are  many  verdant  and  blooming  spots  where  you 
would  have  been  pleased  to  loiter  for  many  a  day, 
and  which  now,  in  remembrance,  are  refreshing  to 
the  soul — but  these  have  occurred  at  intervals  more 
or  less  extended  ;  between  them  are  presented  to 
memory's  eye  arid  wastes  and  rugged  and  toilsome 
passes  through  which  you  have  hurried  with  disgust 
or  in  which  you  have  been  beset  with  difficulties 
and  involved  in  gloom,  perplexity,  and  anguish. 

The  year,  which  has  gone  by,  may  furnish  you 
with  some  of  these  painful  recollections.  Schemes 
for  the  attainment  of  happiness  may  have  been 
originated,  matured,  and  blighted  within  this  short 
period.  With  painful  effort  of  thought  you  may 
have  projected  your  enterprises,  with  assiduous 
labor  prosecuted  them,  and  to  the  full  confidence  of 
success  has  succeeded  the  bitterness  of  disappoint- 
ment. Dearly-prized  comforts  and  fondly-cher- 
ished hopes  have  also  flown.  The  time  is  not  far 
gone  when  there  were  human  beings  to  whom  our 


SER.  28.  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  327 

hearts  have  been  joined  in  the  closest  affection, 
whom  we  have  regarded  as  benefactors,  cherished 
as  the  partakers  of  our  every  joy  and  sorrow,  or 
looked  to  with  the  joy  and  fondness  arising  from 
the  reflection,  that  in  them  we  were  in  a  certain 
sense,  destined  to  live  again.  They  were !  but 
where  are  they  now  ?  "  All  flesh  is  as  grass,  and 
all  the  glory  of  it  as  the  flower  of  grass."  But 
although  affliction  is  painful  in  the  experience  of  it, 
and  bitter  in  its  recollection,  yet  there  is,  oftentimes, 
a  blessing  connected  with  it.  The  strokes  of  the 
Almighty  often  soften  and  purify  the  heart,  and  they 
are  also  designed  for  our  admonition. 

But  what  is  our  object  in  referring  to  the  sorrows 
which  we  have  experienced  ?  Is  it  again  to  lay  bare 
the  wounds  which  have  been  imperfectly  healed  ?  is 
it  to  renew  the  sufferings  which  the  soothing  influ- 
ence of  time  has  moderated  ?  It  is  not.  It  is  to 
teach  you  an  important  lesson  which  cannot  be 
too  often  reiterated  —  That  we  are  not  to  take 
up  our  rest  in  this  world.  All  our  experience  shows 
the  futility  of  the  attempt.  The  inconveniences, 
sorrows,  bereavements  of  this  state,  are  all  designed 
to  wean  us  from  life,  and  to  render  the  awful  con- 
clusion of  it  less  the  object  of  dread. 

But  there  is  a  view  which  may  be  taken  of  time 
that  is  past,  which  is  far  more  important  than  that 
which  refers  to  the  quantity  of  enjoyment  or  suffer- 
ing which  has  distinguished  it.  There  is  the 


328  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  SER.  28. 

remembrance  of  duties  performed  or  neglected,  of  a 
system  of  means  in  operation  for  our  spiritual  im- 
provement, which  has  been  efficacious  or  otherwise. 
Professors  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  what  is 
the  testimony  of  your  consciences  in  regard  to  this 
matter.  According  to  your  faith,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  the  abode  to  which  you  are  tending  ;  there 
should  your  hearts  be,  for  there  is  your  greatest 
treasure.  But  what  are  the  evidences  of  your  ad- 
vancement toward  this  glorious  and  happy  destina- 
tion. They  are  "  a  patient  continuance  in  well- 
doing;" "a  growing  in  grace  and  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  Jesus  Christ  your  Saviour."  Have  you 
exhibited  these  evidences  ?  The  ordinances  of  the 
sanctuary  have  been  attended  on  from  Sabbath  to 
Sabbath ;  day  after  day  the  divine  messages  of 
grace  have  been  addressed  to  you  ;  you  have  been 
admonished  of  your  duty  and  encouraged  to  its  per- 
formance. From  the  enjoyment  of  these  privileges, 
progress  in  religion  is  to  be  anticipated.  Do  you 
now,  therefore,  possess  more  of  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
do  you  more  carefully  walk  in  his  footsteps,  are  you 
more  distinguished  by  that  holiness,  the  attainment  of 
which  is  the  great  object  of  the  divine  dispensations 
toward  you  ;  or  are  you  stationary  in  your  spiritual 
course;  or  have  you  receded  from  the  advances  which 
once  you  had  made.  These  questions  are  of  great 
importance,  and  according  to  the  answer  which  may 
be  given,  you  should  rejoice  or  lament,  for  another 


SER.  28.  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  329 

year  has  flown  and  you  have  approached  so  much 
nearer  the  term  of  your  probationary  state.  But 
of  you  who  are  still  inattentive  to  religious  duty,  I 
would  ask,  whither  are  you  tending,  and  what  is 
the  progress  wrhich  you  have  made  ?  Every  year 
which  you  have  hitherto  lived,  you  have  been  de- 
parting wider  and  wider  from  the  path  of  duty  and 
happiness  ;  and  this  deviation  will  most  assuredly 
issue  in  irretrievable  wretchedness.  It  is  time  now 
to  endeavor  to  retrace  your  steps — it  is  proper  that 
you  lament  over  your  ruined  happiness — that  you 
deplore  your  past  errors  and  endeavor  to  amend 
them,  and  that  you  now  select  as  your  highest  and 
dearest  object,  that  which  is  most  worthy  the  atten- 
tion of  one  who  is  destined  to  live  forever. 

The  present  season  is,  however,  not  merely  one 
in  which  the  past  may  be  reviewed  with  profit ;  it 
is  one  at  which  we  naturally  look  into  futurity, 
form  anticipations  in  regard  to  its  events,  and  project 
plans  for  the  regulation  of  life.  The  first  reflection 
in  view  of  the  future  which  strikes  our  minds,  re- 
lates to  the  great  uncertainty  which  characterizes 
it.  What  are  the  events  which  lie  concealed  in  its 
bosom,  we  know  not.  The  observation  is  a  very 
trite  one,  but  it  is  of  great  importance.  It  deserves 
at  all  times  to  be  present  with  our  minds.  Of  all 
those  who  have  now  met  together  in  the  house  of 
God,  how  many  will  reassemble  at  the  expiration  of 
another  year  ?  In  regard  to  those  to  whom  it  shall 
42 


330  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  SER.  28. 

be  permitted  to  do  so,  through  what  vicissitudes 
may  they  not  pass  !  In  regard  to  others  to  whom 
this  is  denied,  what  is  their  condition  ?  They  will  be 
concealed  from  our  view.  What  may  be  their  por- 
tion— how  delightful  or  how  awful,  who  can  tell ! 

Another  reflection  which  arises  from  this  view  of 
the  uncertainty  of  things  future,  is  "that  it  is  the 
attribute  of  wisdom  to  mark  out  and  pursue  that 
course  of  conduct  which  will  provide  for  our  security 
under  all  circumstances."  The  continuance  in  a 
neglect  of  the  great  duties  of  religion,  is  not  such 
a  course.  The  procedure  may  be  a  safe  one  under 
certain  supposed  circumstances.  It  may  be  so  if 
Hfe  be  extended,  and  other  seasons  for  repentance 
be  afforded.  It  is  awfully  dangerous  in  the  event  of 
death  taking  place,  and  judgment  being  entered 
upon.  And  to  presume  upon  that  as  certain,  which 
is  the  most  uncertain  of  all  things,  is  the  most  ex- 
treme folly. 

But  a  close  attention  to  our  spiritual  welfare,  to 
the  salvation  of  our  souls,  will  prepare  us  for  any 
event.  With  the  possession  of  true  religion,  come 
life  or  death,  we  are  happy.  Be  it  a  matter  of  in- 
difference when  this  clay  tabernacle  shall  become 
utterly  ruined.  Rather  be  its  dissolution  the  object 
of  hope  ;  for  this  mortal  shall  then  put  on  immor- 
tality— the  habitations  of  earth  shall  be  exchanged 
for  an  "  house  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in  the 
heavens." 


SER.  28.  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  331 

Let  us  now,  therefore,  propose  it  to  ourselves  as 
our  first  and  highest  object,  to  secure  a  safe  issue  to 
the  journey  of  life.  This  will  be  done  by  obtaining 
reconciliation  with  that  glorious  Being  whom  we 
have  deeply  offended — by  becoming  interested  in 
that  all-sufficient  Redeemer  who  has  gone  to  pre- 
pare in  his  Father's  house  habitations  for  those  who 
love  him  and  await  his  final  appearance,  and  by  ac- 
quiring that  holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall 
see  God  in  peace.  And  let  us  then,  in  subordina- 
tion to  this  ultimate  object,  while  our  lives  are 
spared  on  earth,  be  occupied  with  plans  for  our  im- 
provement, intellectual  as  well  as  moral ;  for  the 
promotion  of  our  happiness — for  the  advancement 
of  that  of  our  fellow  creatures.  He  is  most  worthy 
of  regard,  who  cultivates  his  faculties  to  the  highest 
degree  of  which  his  nature  is  susceptible,  and  who 
employs  them  in  diffusing  happiness  around  him  ; 
and  he  who  acts  thus,  purchases  for  himself  the 
highest  and  purest  enjoyments.  Let  therefore  the 
purposes  of  good  which  are  conceived  or  strength- 
ened in  your  minds,  mark  this  as  an  era  to  which 
your  thoughts  may  at  a  future  day  recur  with 
pleasure,  and  which  shall  sustain  a  prominent  sta- 
tion in  the  retrospect  of  life  which  shall  be  taken 
by  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect.  A  few 
more  revolving  years  shall  pass,  and  this  earth  will 
know  you  no  more  forever.  Other  successive  revo- 
lutions will  bring  on  the  consummation  of  all  things 


332  NEW  YEAR'S  SERMON.  SER.  28. 

spoken  of  by  the  prophets.  Then  will  Jehovah's 
purposes  be  accomplished — the  visible  heavens  will 
depart  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together — the 
earth  will  be  removed  from  its  place  and  consumed — 
a  new  heaven  and  new  earth  shall  be  revealed,  illu- 
minated by  the  divine  glory,  and  inhabited  by  the 
myriads  of  souls  which  have  been  redeemed.  May 
the  God  of  mercy  grant  to  us  all  an  everlasting  in- 
heritance in  his  kingdom. 


333 


SERMON    XXIX. 


ON    NEGLECT    OF    RELIGION 


ACTS  xvii.  32. 

And  when  they  heard  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  some 
mocked :  and  others  said.  We  will  hear  thee  again  of  this 
matter. 

THE  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  had,  from  an 
incidental  occurrence,  taken  occasion  to  address  the 
people  of  Athens  upon  a  subject  important  in  itself 
and  interesting  to  all  men.  He  had  observed  with 
grief  their  idolatrous  practices,  and  remarking  an 
altar  inscribed  "  to  the  unknown  God,"  he  was 
powerfully  excited  to  proclaim  to  them  the  exis- 
tence of  Him,  who,  indeed,  appeared  to  be  unknown 
to  them  both  in  his  own  character,  and  in  the  nature 
of  the  worship  which  he  required. 

The  duties  which  they  owed  to  the  Almighty, 
grounded  on  the  fact  of  their  deriving  from  him 


334  NEGLECT    OF    RELIGION.  SER.  29. 

life  and  breath  and  all  things,  were  urged  upon 
their  attention.  These  were  enforced  by  the  con- 
sideration of  the  more  perfect  revelation  which  God 
had  at  that  time  given  of  himself,  commanding  all 
men  every  where  to  repent,  and  declaring  that  he 
would  judge  the  world  in  righteousness,  of  which 
he  had  given  assurance  to  all  men  in  that  he  had 
raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead.  The  result 
which  attended  this  preaching  of  the  Apostle  was 
by  no  means  of  an  encouraging  character.  "  For 
when  they  heard  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
some  mocked,  but  others  said,  we  will  hear  thee 
again  of  this  matter."  And  is  not  this  the  recep- 
tion which  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  meets  with 
in  every  age  ?  For  while  some  attend,  with  rever- 
ence and  concern,  to  the  declaration  of  God's  will 
and  the  exhibition  of  the  way  of  salvation,  there  are 
others  who  care  not  for  these  things,  and  thus  scoff 
at  them  ;  or  who,  not  wishing  to  regard  them  at 
this  time,  postpone  the  consideration  of  them  to  a 
distant  period. 

The  design  of  the  present  address,  is  to  suggest 
to  each  of  these  classes  such  reflections  as  appear 
calculated  to  produce  a  conviction  of  the  impropriety 
and  danger  of  the  conduct  which  they  adopt.  And, 
in  the  first  place,  I  would  address  myself  to  those, 
who,  entirely  insensible  to  the  evils  attendant  on 
their  natural  condition,  have  no  idea  of  the  neces- 
sity of  repentance.  If  it  be  said,  that  in  the  multi- 


SER.  29.  NEGLECT    OF    RELIGION.  335 

tude  of  those,  who,  in  lands  professedly  Christian, 
attend  on  the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  there  are  few 
thus  totally  regardless  of  religion  ;  if  this  be  alleged, 
let  the  following  considerations  be  attended  to.  If 
we  observe  persons  rarely  attending  on  the  ordi- 
nances of  God's  house  ;  if  we  perceive  them  when 
occasionally  there,  destitute  of  reverence,  and  hav- 
ing thoughtlessness  depicted  on  their  countenances 
and  expressed  in  all  their  deportment,  what  shall 
be  said  of  such  persons  ? — that  they  have  even  a 
common  respect  for  religion  or  any  sense  of  its  im- 
portance ?  Certainly  not.  Moreover,  if  such  per- 
sons attend  on  the  worship  of  God  merely  to  spend 
a  portion  of  time  which  hangs  heavily  on  their 
hands,  shall  we  say  that  they  have  any  conception 
of  the  real  design  of  this  worship,  any  apprehension 
that  they  can  derive  benefit  from  it  ?  Or  if  we 
perceive  that  their  sole  object  in  attending  the 
ministry  of  the  word,  is  to  be  delighted  with  the 
brilliance  of  eloquence,  or  with  subtilty  of  disquisi- 
tion, or  with  the  ostentation  of  science,  and  that 
W7here  these  do  not  exist,  or  exist  in  a  moderate 
degree,  the  simple  truths  of  the  gospel  have  no 
attraction — can  we  refrain  from  pronouncing  con- 
cerning such  that  they  are  far,  very  far,  from  pos- 
sessing that  conviction  of  the  certainty  and  im- 
portance of  divine  truth,  which  will  dispose  to  its 
cordial  reception  ? 

Upon  such  I  would  fain  produce  a  conviction  of 


336  NEGLECT    OF    RELIGION.  SER.  29. 

guilt  and  an  apprehension  of  danger.  And,  in  the 
first  place,  they  are  entreated  to  reflect  on  the  good- 
ness shown  to  them  by  that  God  whose  worship 
they  neglect,  or  whose  institutions  they  contemn. 
As  their  Creator,  all  reverence  and  devotedness  are 
due  to  him.  But  beyond  this,  has  he  ever  left  them 
without  a  witness  of  his  goodness  ?  Does  not  his 
bounty  flow  to  them  in  a  rich  and  inexhaustible 
stream  ?  The  very  things  which  occupy  their 
exclusive  attention,  and  for  which  the  soul  is  put  in 
jeopardy,  are  an  evidence  of  the  goodness  of  Him 
"  who  giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy."  To 
love  the  creature  in  subordination  to  the  Creator,  is 
not  forbidden  ;  to  pursue  temporal  good  consistently 
with  the  performance  of  higher  duties,  is  altogether 
praiseworthy — and  to  enjoy  with  temperance  and 
gratitude  the  blessings  of  Providence,  is  an  accept- 
able tribute  to  Him  who  made  us. 

But,  when  God  is  not  thus  regarded ;  when  men 
not  merely  forget  him,  but  profane  his  sacred 
ordinances ;  is  not  their  guilt  to  be  accounted  awful  ? 
Shall  they  not  expect  terrible  recompense  from  his 
hands. 

The  human  race  is  deeply  criminal,  and  yet  God 
exercises  forbearance — they  are  still  ungrateful,  and 
he  has,  notwithstanding,  provided  redemption  for 
them — he  hath  "  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 


SER.  29.  NEGLECT    OF    RELIGION.  537 

In  view  of  these  things,  and  with  the  gospel 
sounding  in  their  ears,  let  the  thoughtless  or  unbe- 
lieving beware  how  they  act.  It  is  said  by  an 
inspired  man — "  How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect 
so  great  salvation."  And  again,  "  He  that  despised 
Moses'  law  died  without  mercy  ;  of  how  much 
sorer  punishment  shall  he  be  thought  worthy,  who 
hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God,  and 
counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant  wherewith  he 
was  sanctified,  an  unholy  thing."  If  such  be  the 
guilt  attendant  on  this  course  of  conduct,  is  there 
any  one  who  can  deliberately  persevere  in  it  ? 
Wretched  sinner,  will  you  court  your  destruction  ? 
Have  you  an  arm  like  God,  and  can  you  contend 
against  the  Almighty  ?  Has  he  denounced  against 
the  despisers  of  his  authority,  that  they  shall  lie 
down  in  sorrow  ;  and  having  threatened,  will  not 
judgment  follow? 

With  awful  apprehensions  will  guilty  mortals  be 
filled  in  that  day  when  the  heavens  shall  pass  away 
with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with 
fervent  heat.  And  under  these  apprehensions,  they 
will  have  no  ground  of  encouragement.  For  God 
has  declared  to  such  as  they  are,  "  Because  I  have 
called  and  ye  refused ;  I  have  stretched  out  my 
hand  and  no  man  regarded ;  I  also  will  laugh  at 
your  calamity,  I  will  mock  when  your  fear  cometh — 
when  your  fear  cometh  as  desolation,  and  your  de- 
struction as  a  whirlwind." 
43 


338  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  29. 

As  surely  as  God  has  spoken  to  men,  these 
representations  are  correct ;  but,  since  there  are 
some  who  do  not  admit  the  authority  of  revelation, 
it  will  be  of  advantage  to  them  to  be  admonished  of 
their  duty  in  respect  to  this  matter. 

It  is  then  a  principle  which  I  presume  will  not  be 
questioned,  that  there  is  no  impossibility  of  God's 
revealing  himself  to  men.  With  this  observation 
premised,  it  is  stated  that  there  is  a  system  of 
religion  claiming  a  divine  origin,  which  has  pre- 
vailed to  a  great  extent  for  many  ages ;  to  which  a 
great  number  of  the  most  learned  and  candid  men 
have  cordially  assented,  and  which  professes  to  be 
supported  by  evidence  of  such  a  nature  as  is  open  to 
the  examination  of  all.  It  may  also  be  remarked 
that  this  system  has  contributed  much  to  improve 
the  social  condition  of  man,  as  well  as  to  promote 
his  individual  virtue  and  happiness.  Of  these  facts 
there  can  exist  no  reasonable  doubt — they  are 
admitted  by  the  most  candid  opposers  of  the  gospel, 
and  are  apparent  from  the  tenor  of  history  and  our 
own  observation. 

It  is  not  at  this  time  designed  to  touch  at  all 
upon  the  evidences  of  Christianity — it  is  only  re- 
quested that  the  statements  just  made  be  remem- 
bered. The  inquiry  is  now  proposed — What  is  the 
duty  of  those  who  yet  unimpressed  with  the  au- 
thority of  revealed  religion,  profess  a  desire  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  truth  ?  The  fact  that 


SER.  29.  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  339 

there  is  a  system  of  faith  professing  to  be  divine, 
which  in  its  influence  is  most  benignant,  certainly 
affords  a  presumption  that  God  has  revealed  himself. 
Does  not  then  the  most  forcible  obligation  rest  upon 
all  men  to  examine  the  proof  urged  in  favor  of  this 
system  ?  And  should  not  this  examination  be  con- 
ducted with  candor,  with  a  diligence  commen- 
surate with  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and  with 
great  seriousness  of  mind.  So  far  from  condemning 
it  unheard,  should  not  the  mind  be  exceedingly 
opened  to  reasonable  conviction,  and  disposed  to 
allow  all  due  influence  to  the  arguments  adduced  ? 
If  all  this  be  done,  and  without  effect,  men  may  be 
justified  in  disbelieving  the  gospel. 

But  is  this  conduct  characteristic  of  the  unbe- 
liever ?  Does  he  not  condemn  and  proceed  to  the 
confutation  of  the  Scriptures,  without  having  ever 
attended  to  their  contents,  or  the  evidence  upon 
which  they  rest  ?  It  is  a  noble  and  invaluable 
testimony  in  favor  of  our  holy  religion,  that  in 
many  instances,  an  attentive  examination  and  an 
accurate  acquaintance  with  the  sacred  writings, 
have  been  instrumental  in  convincing  those  who  had 
been  strongly  prejudiced  against  them.  I  could 
name  illustrious  individuals,  upon  whom  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  had  this  happy 
influence.  I  could  adduce  instances,  where  the  first 
resort  to  the  attentive  study  of  the  Bible  was  with  a 
view  to  its  confutation;  and  I  could  point  to  the 


340  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  29. 

effects  which  flowed  from  this  study,  in  able  and 
eloquent  defences  of  Christianity,  by  those  who 
cherished  the  faith  which  they  once  designed  to 
destroy.  Such  is  the  majesty  and  influence  of 
truth,  and  so  important  is  a  thorough  knowledge 
and  candid  examination  of  the  contents  of  divine 
revelation. 

It  is  therefore  most  seriously  urged  upon  those 
who  may  yet  be  unbelievers,  that  they  do  patiently, 
and  with  a  sincere  desire  of  arriving  at  the  truth, 
examine  into  the  evidence  upon  which  the  Scrip- 
tures found  their  claim  to  inspiration.  In  the  course 
of  this  investigation  let  them  consider  the  momen- 
tous nature  of  the  pretensions  to  be  substantiated  or 
disallowed,  and  proceed  with  becoming  deliberation, 
to  the  formation  of  their  judgment. 

It  is  also  a  reflection  which  should  be  ever  borne 
in  mind,  that  the  truth  of  the  gospel  is  not  merely  a 
matter  of  speculation.  The  evidence  presented 
may  be  abundantly  sufficient  to  convince  the  judg- 
ment, and  yet  the  man  may  remain  an  unbeliever. 
The  reason  of  which  is  that  there  exists  in  the 
human  heart  an  aversion  to  the  truths  which  God 
has  revealed — there  is  something  in  the  nature  of 
man,  and  in  the  relation  which  he  sustains  to  his 
Creator,  which  indisposes  him  to  acknowledge  the 
fact,  that  a  revelation  has  been  made.  Such  an 
one  will  reason  thus :  '  If  God  has  indeed  declared 
his  will,  then  am  I  inexcusable  in  not  obeying  it ; — 


SER.  29.  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  341 

if  the  Scriptures  contain  divine  truth,  then  am  I 
sunk  in  sin ;  and  without  repentance,  faith,  and 
holiness,  must  perish.'  These  are  disagreeable 
truths,  and  you  cannot  bear  them — you  do  not  wish 
to  be  disturbed  in  your  repose,  nor  that  the  com- 
placency with  which  you  view  yourselves  and  con- 
duct, should  be  destroyed.  You  will  not  therefore 
trouble  yourselves  with  an  investigation  which  will 
be  productive  of  such  painful  and  humbling  feelings. 
But  the  authority  of  the  Bible  is  the  same  whether 
you  believe  or  disbelieve  it,  and  God  has  certainly 
appointed  a  day  in  which  he  will  judge  all  men, 
although  you  may  have  persuaded  yourselves  of  the 
contrary.  If  you  are  not  convinced  now,  you  must 
be  hereafter — but  this  will  be  unavailing  ;  for  in 
the  world  which  shall  be,  "  no  device,  nor  work,  nor 
knowledge,  nor  wisdom,"  can  suffice  for  the  salva- 
tion of  those  who  have  in  this  world  continued 
impenitent  to  their  end. 

The  observations  which  have  been  made  respect 
one  of  the  two  classes  of  hearers  which  come  under 
our  observation,  and  which  correspond  with  those 
mentioned  in  the  text.  I  shall  on  another  occasion, 
take  up  the  case  of  those  who  with  undecided  minds, 
reply  to  the  gospel  admonition,  '  We  will  hear  thee 
again  of  this  matter.5  This  reply  indicates  some 
conviction  of  the  importance  of  divine  truth — and 
we  may  suppose,  that  those  who  give  it,  design  at 


342  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  29. 

some  future  time,  to  attend  to  the  great  concern  of 
their  salvation. 

But,  perhaps  there  are  some  of  you  who  have 
never  gone  thus  far — all  our  admonitions  have  been 
disregarded.  You  have  never  felt  that  you  were  in 
imminent  danger  of  destruction — and  you  have 
never  thought  of  being  any  thing  else  than  you  now 
are.  Whether  this  carelessness  has  arisen  from  a 
deliberate  disbelief  of  the  gospel,  or  the  mere 
neglect  of  its  instructions,  the  effect  is  the  same, 
and  you  are  involved  alike  in  guilt  and  danger. 
You  are  earnestly  besought  to  consider  these  things. 
If  the  Bible  has  been  disbelieved,  or  if  it  has  been 
neglected,  let  it  be  thus  no  longer — attend  to  its 
warnings  and  instruction,  and  you  will  be  convinced 
of  guilt,  and  learn  its  remedy.  No  longer  neglect 
therefore,  the  great  salvation  which  has  been  pro- 
vided. Do  not  render  yourselves  vessels  of  wrath, 
more  and  more  fitted  for  destruction.  But  let  the 
glorious  fact  that  Jesus,  after  having  died  for  our 
sins,  arose  from  the  dead,  induce  you  to  believe  on 
him,  and  encourage  you  to  trust  in  him,  that  you 
may  also  arise  from  the  grave  to  the  inheritance  of 
everlasting  life. 


343 


SERMON    XXX. 


ON    NEGLECT    OF    RELIGION 


ACTS  xvii.  32. 
And  others  said,  We  will  hear  thee  again  of  this  matter. 

ON  a  former  occasion,  while  considering  the  re- 
ception which  St.  Paul's  preaching  met  with  at 
Athens,  we  were  led  to  address  some  reflections  to 
those  who  either  treated  the  gospel  with  scorn,  or 
utter  neglect.  It  was  at  that  time  promised  that 
the  conduct  of  those  who  were  undecided  in  regard 
to  religious  duty,  should  be  made  the  subject  of 
future  examination.  With  this  engagement  I  now 
proceed  to  comply,  while  I  address  those  who,  in 
some  degree  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  re- 
pentance toward  God  and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  do, 
nevertheless,  decline  attending  to  these  duties  at 
present ;  whose  reply  to  the  warnings  and  exhor- 


344  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  30. 

tations  of  the  gospel  ministry  is,  "  We  will  hear 
thee  again  of  this  matter."  Let  not  such  persons 
suppose  that  their  respect  for  religion  ;  their  con- 
viction of  its  importance,  and  their  resolution  to 
attend  to  it  at  some  future  period,  will  avail  them 
any  thing,  while  they  are  impenitent,  and  unbe- 
lieving. "  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish,"  is  the  declaration  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  is  of 
alarming  import  to  all  who  are  "  without  God  in 
the  world."  It  is  believed  that  a  large  majority  of 
irreligious  men  cherish  the  intention  of  seeking  the 
favor  of  God  at  some  future  period  ;  at  the  hour  of 
death,  at  all  events,  if  not  sooner.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, make  some  observations  on  the  guilt  of  such 
procrastination,  and  on  the  danger  which  attends  it. 
It  is  an  evident  truth,  that  in  proportion  to  the 
knowledge  wrhich  we  possess  of  our  duty,  is  the 
criminality  of  neglecting  to  perform  it ;  and  the 
Scriptures  declare  that  the  servant  who  knew  his 
Lord's  will  and  did  it  not,  should  be  beaten  with 
many  stripes.  Their  guilt,  then,  is  obviously  great, 
who,  knowing  themselves  to  be  transgressors,  and 
convinced  of  the  duty  of  repentance,  still  continue 
in  the  commission  of  sin,  and  determine  to  enjoy 
its  pleasures  as  long  as  possible  without  hazarding 
the  loss  of  their  souls  ;  against  this  consequence, 
they  hope  to  provide  by  a  late  repentance.  But 
the  guilt  which  arises  from  the  neglect  of  a  known 
and  acknowledged  duty,  becomes  more  aggravated, 


SER.  30.  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  345 

in  consequence  of  its  being  a  gross  abuse  of  the 
divine  goodness.  Does  God  prolong  your  lives, 
crown  them  with  the  richest  mercies,  and  delay 
inflicting  the  punishment  due  to  you,  in  order  that 
you  may  continue  in  rebellion,  and  make  use  of  the 
blessings  which  you  receive  from  him  to  gratify 
your  sinful  desires  ?  Or  does  he  present  to  your 
view  an  exalted  Saviour  sustaining  the  curse  in  our 
room  ?  Does  he  set  before  you  the  hope  of  abun- 
dant forgiveness,  only  to  encourage  you  to  "  con- 
tinue in  sin  that  grace  may  abound?"  Oh,  no! 
and  of  every  abuse  of  God's  goodness,  this  is  the 
most  criminal,  the  most  shocking  to  him  who  is  at 
all  sensible  of  the  obligations  to  gratitude  and  love 
which  are  created  by  the  inexpressible  kindness  of 
the  divine  dispensations  toward  us. 

2.  The  means  of  grace,  also,  which  are  designed 
to  call  us  off  from  vanity  and  sin,  and  to  reconcile 
us  to  God,  are  abused  by  the  conduct  here  con- 
demned. If  men  are  indeed  obnoxious  to  the 
sentence  of  divine  justice  ;  if  in  themselves  they 
are  incompetent  to  procure  the  divine  favor,  surely 
any  intimation  of  a  method  of  salvation  should  be 
embraced  with  joy.  The  gospel  contains  not 
merely  an  intimation,  but  a  full  discovery  of  the 
way  of  salvation.  The  privilege  of  possessing  the 
gospel  is  certainly  a  great  one,  and  it  produces  a 
correspondent  obligation  to  attend  to  its  warnings, 
and  obey  its  requisitions.  "  Not  the  hearers  of  the 
44 


346  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  30. 

law  are  justified  before  God,  but  the  doers."  And 
it  is  not  enough  for  men  to  attend  even  with  a 
degree  of  respect  to  the  ministrations  of  the  word 
of  truth  and  salvation  ;  it  must  have  its  proper 
influence  upon  their  hearts,  and  upon  their  lives,  or 
the  gospel  will  become  to  them  an  occasion  of  in- 
creased condemnation.  And  let  not  any  suppose, 
that  because  their  lives  are  decent,  or  even  adorned 
with  many  actions  which  have  a  natural  goodness 
in  them,  that  they  have  no  concern  in  these  things, 
and  that  God  is  not  displeased  with  them.  Let 
them  remember  the  parable  of  the  rich  man  and 
Lazarus.  Of  the  former  it  is  not  said  that  he  had 
acquired  his  wealth  by  iniquitous  practices,  "  that 
he  had  robbed  the  widow  or  devoured  the  orphan's 
portion ;  "  it  is  not  stated  that  he  was  guilty  of 
any  outward  enormity  ;  he  was  not  covetous,  a 
glutton,  a  drunkard,  or  lascivious ;  he  had  even,  it 
may  be,  done  some  charitable  actions.  He  is 
merely  charged  with  unthankfulness  to  God  for  his 
mercies  ;  with  neglect  of  religion,  and  with  having 
his  heart  supremely  fixed  upon  the  things  of  this 
life  :  and  yet  this  man  "  lifted  up  his  eyes  in  hell, 
being  in  torments."  Let  the  self-complacent  moral 
man  attend  to  this  scene,  for  in  it  he  may  read  an 
important  lesson.  And  let  it  also  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  in  the  representation  which  our  Lord  has  given 
us  of  the  day  of  judgment,  men  are  not  charged 
with  the  positive  crimes  which  they  have  com- 


/ 

RN\LX 


SER.  30.  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  347 

mitted,  but  with  their  neglect  of  duty,  "  I  was  sick, 
and  ye  visited  me  not." 

These  considerations  respect  the  guilt  attendant 
on  delaying  the  great  work  of  conversion.  I  would 
now  insist  on  the  danger.  And  I  would  in  the  first 
place  infer  this  from  the  fact  of  the  "  inveteracy  of 
habits  long  pursued."  In  proportion  to  the  number 
of  times  any  action  is  performed,  will  be  the  ease 
of  its  performance,  and  the  difficulty  of  refraining 
from  it.  "  Choose  that  manner  of  life  W7hich  is 
best,  and  custom  will  render  it  agreeable,"  is  a  well 
known  and  very  forcible  observation.  In  confor- 
mity with  this  it  may  be  remarked,  that  if  a  bad 
choice  have  been  made,  the  longer  it  is  persevered 
in,  the  more  impossible  will  be  an  alteration  of 
conduct ;  and  this  result  will  be  the  more  inevitable, 
because  to  the  force  of  habit,  in  this  instance,  is 
added  the  strong  influence  of  human  depravity.  I 
refer  at  this  time,  to  laws  existing  in  the  human 
constitution,  evident  to  all  men  from  their  own 
consciousness  and  observation.  Every  day,  there- 
fore, the  sinner  remains  in  an  unconverted  state, 
every  time  he  repeats  his  acts  of  impiety,  his  sal- 
vation is  rendered  more  difficult.  His  corrupt 
desires  are  increased,  his  propensity  to  sin  becomes 
more  irresistible,  his  aversion  to  holiness  more  in- 
curable. A  single  glance  over  the  face  of  society 
will  present  many  illustrations  of  this  statement. 
Why  is  it  that  the  gamester,  from  playing  merely 


348  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  30. 

for  amusement,  will  become  so  attached  to  his 
criminal  employment  that  indulging  in  it,  he  will 
sacrifice  fortune,  character,  peace  of  mind,  and 
involve  many  others  in  the  same  hopeless  misery  ? 
Why  is  it  that  the  drunkard  proceeds  from  sobriety 
to  occasional  intemperance,  and  finally  to  a  state  of 
degradation  below  the  brutes  which  perish  ?  And 
how  next  to  impossible  is  the  reformation  of  such 
persons,  do  we  not  all  know  ?  Whence  arises  this  ? 
Is  it  not  from  the  force  of  habit  produced  by  a  con- 
tinuance in  the  practice  of  these  vices  ?  And  the 
habit  of  transgressing  in  general,  has  the  same  in- 
fluence in  increasing  the  alienations  of  the  heart 
from  God,  and  in  fastening  more  closely  upon  the 
soul,  the  fetters  of  sin.  To  you  who  are  yet  in 
bondage  to  corruption,  this  is  an  alarming  con- 
sideration. If  your  aversion  to  religious  duty,  and 
love  of  pleasure,  be  now  so  great  that  you  cannot 
think  of  seeking  the  favor  of  God  or  doing  his  will, 
how  much  greater  will  these  obstacles  be  at  any 
time  hereafter  ?  Do  not,  therefore,  deceive  your- 
selves with  the  thought  that  your  continuing  in 
transgression  will  not  render  your  reconciliation 
with  God  more  and  more  difficult. 

3.  There  is  another  observation  which  forcibly  il- 
lustrates the  danger  attendant  on  a  delay  of  conver- 
sion. It  is,  that  while  habit  strengthens  all  active 
principles,  it  weakens  all  passive  impressions.  For 
instance,  the  more  frequently  motives  to  holiness 


SER.  30.  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  349 

are  presented  to  the  mind  without  any  good  effect, 
the  less  will  their  influence  finally  be.  This  should 
furnish  to  you  a  powerful  inducement  to  "  seek  the 
Lord  while  he  may  be  found  ;"  for  those  solemn 
denunciations  of  the  divine  displeasure,  which  now 
perhaps,  affect  the  minds  of  the  most  careless  among 
you,  will  soon,  by  frequent  repetition,  lose  their 
influence  with  those  who  were  once  deeply  terrified 
with  them.  And  all  the  variety  of  inducements 
which  we  present  to  lead  you  to  repentance,  which 
now  appear  so  strong  as  almost  to  persuade  you  to 
be  a  Christian,  will  in  time  cease  to  produce  any 
effect  upon  your  heart. 

I  now  proceed  to  derive  an  argument  in  favor  of 
an  immediate  attention  to  religion,  from  the  nature 
of  conversion  itself.  Conversion  is  the  passage 
from  what  we  term  a  state  of  nature,  to  one  of 
grace.  The  characteristics  of  the  one  state  are,  a 
subjection  to  sin  and  exposure  to  the  judgment  of 
God.  The  characteristics  of  the  other  are,  a  prev- 
alence of  holy  dispositions  and  the  possession  of  the 
divine  favor. 

The  change  which  is  thus  produced  is  the  result 
of  a  divine  influence  upon  the  human  heart — and 
this  influence  is  usually  associated  with  the  use  of 
certain  appointed  means  of  grace.  Since  then, 
there  are  means  of  grace,  we  should  attend  upon 
them  immediately.  The  Scriptures  say — "  To-day, 
if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts." 


350  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  30. 

And  if  we  obey  not  the  solemn  command  of  God  ; 
if  we  do  indeed  harden  our  hearts  against  the 
warnings  and  invitations  of  the  gospel ;  if  we  in  fine 
grieve  the  Holy  Spirit — can  we  hope  that  his  heav- 
enly influence  will  hereafter  be  afforded  to  us  ? 

But,  in  the  last  place,  from  the  uncertainty  of 
life,  I  would  argue  against  postponing  our  attention 
to  religious  duty.  "  When  Paul  reasoned  of  right- 
eousness, temperance,  and  judgment  to  come,  Felix 
trembled  and  answered — Go  thy  way  at  this  time, 
at  a  convenient  season  I  will  call  for  thee."  In  all 
probability,  this  convenient  season  never  arrived. 
And  from  the  example  of  this  man,  others  should 
derive  instruction.  And  when  they  are  disposed  to 
quiet  their  present  convictions,  and  reply  to  our 
admonitions,  that  they  will  consider  their  duty  at  a 
convenient  season — do  they  reflect  on  the  precarious 
tenure  of  their  lives  ?  Do  they  remember  that  the 
appalling  sound  may  very  shortly  meet  their  ears, 
"  thy  soul  is  required  at  thy  hands."  Indeed,  my 
thoughtless  hearers,  you  know  not  the  day  nor  the 
hour  when  an  eternal  world  shall  open  upon  your 
view — when  all  your  earthly  joys  shall  forsake  you, 
and  you  be  subjected  to  a  weight  of  wo,  to  which 
an  innumerable  succession  of  ages  shall  afford  no 
mitigation  nor  bring  any  prospect  of  relief.  You 
profess  to  believe  the  Scriptures,  and  in  them  it  is 
declared  that  "  the  wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell, 
with  all  those  who  forget  God."  You  confess  that 


SER.  30.  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  351 

you  are  under  this  curse,  and  that  your  lives  are 
vanishing  away,  and  that  you  know  not  the  day  nor 
the  hour,  when  with  regard  to  you,  time  shall  be  no 
longer. 

How  then  can  you  rest  in  this  situation  ?  How 
can  you  smile  and  delight  yourself  with  the  pleas- 
ures of  this  life,  when  you  are  on  the  brink  of  a 
yawning  gulf,  ready  to  drop  in  and  be  eternally  lost  ? 
How  may  we  account  for  such  conduct  ?  It  is  to 
be  feared,  that  together  with  an  intention  of  future 
repentance,  many  deceive  themselves  fatally  with 
wrong  conceptions  of  the  mercy  of  God.  But,  has 
it  not  been  declared,  that  "  except  a  man  be  bom 
again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  That  the 
wicked  "shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment : 
but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal."  And  shall  not 
the  word  of  God  be  credited  ?  Will  it  be  said 
that  this  is  inconsistent  with  the  divine  goodness. 
Has  not  God  exhibited  his  goodness  in  the  gift  of 
his  Son  ?  Has  he  not  long  borne  with  you  ?  Has 
he  not  invited  you  to  come  to  him,  that  you  may 
have  life,  and  warned  you  of  the  consequences  of 
continuing  in  sin  ?  And  after  having  despised  all 
this  goodness,  is  it  strange  that  you  should  meet 
with  awful  recompense  ?  Perhaps  but  a  little  while 
may  pass,  ere  death  shall  arrest  the  most  careless  of 
all  who  are  now  present.  And  while  the  body 
rests  in  the  narrow  house — where  is  the  soul  that 
never  dies?  It  is  unchangeably  fixed — if  not  in 


352  NEGLECT  OF  RELIGION.  SER.  30. 

God's  presence,  it  must  be  in  those  dark  mansions 
where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  their  fire  is  not 
quenched. 

Now  then  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as 
though  God  did  beseech  you,  we  pray  you  in 
Christ's  stead — Be  ye  reconciled  to  God.  Let  not 
another  moment  of  your  lives  pass  without  resolving 
to  forsake  your  sins — without  earnest  supplication 
at  a  throne  of  grace,  for  pardon  and  acceptance,  and 
for  the  Spirit  of  grace  to  sanctify  your  hearts. 
Until  this  takes  place,  there  is  no  promise  of  peace 
for  you.  May  God  incline  you  to  flee  from  the 
impending  vengeance,  and  grant  you  redemption 
through  Christ's  blood — that  your  consolation  may 
be  pure,  abundant,  and  never  failing. 


353 


SERMON    XXXI. 


THE  IMPORT  AND  USE  OF  INFANT  BAPTISM. 


MARK    X.    13,    14,    16. 

And  they  brought  young  children  to  him,  that  he  should 
touch  them;  and  his  disciples  rebuked  those  that  brought 
them.  But  when  Jesus  saw  it,  he  was  much  displeased, 
and  said  unto  them,  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto 
me,  and  forbid  them  not :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Jlnd  he  took  them  up  in  his  arms,  put  his  hands 
upon  them,  and  blessed  them. 

THERE  are  few  incidents  in  the  evangelical  his- 
tory more  affecting  than  the  one  mentioned  in  the 
text.  The  Saviour  of  men  is  presented  to  our  view 
as  full  of  kindness  and  condescension  to  the  hum- 
blest and  most  helpless  of  his  creatures.  His 
compassion  toward  the  suffering,  had  induced  him, 
on  many  occasions,  to  heal  their  diseases.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  beneficent  exercise  of  his  power, 
45 


354  THE    IMPORT    AND    USE  SER.  31. 

multitudes,  of  all  classes,  resorted  to  him  for  relief. 
Amid  this  general  solicitude  with  respect  to  a  res- 
toration from  bodily  disease,  there  were  some  who 
experienced  a  concern  with  regard  to  blessings  of 
a  superior  character.  They  sought  to  obtain  from 
him  instruction  concerning  heavenly  things  ;  they 
wished  to  secure  his  favor,  upon  which  was  de- 
pendent a  good,  more  important  than  life,  more 
valuable  than  health,  more  precious  than  any  hap- 
piness which  the  world  can  bestow.  Nor  did  their 
solicitude  respect  their  own  well  being  alone  ;  it 
extended  to  the  case  of  others  who  were  more  or 
less  intimately  connected  with  them.  The  text 
brings  under  our  view,  certain  individuals  who 
were  doubtless  parents,  who  brought  their  infant 
children  to  Jesus  Christ  that  he  might  bless  them ; 
natural  affection  would  prompt  them  to  seek  the 
happiness  of  their  offspring,  and  they  would  seek  it 
more  earnestly  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  the 
blessings  to  be  secured  for  them. 

In  directing  your  attention  to  this  particular 
passage  of  Scripture,  I  have  designed  to  show,  that 
serious  parents  are  disposed  to  procure  for  their 
children  a  participation  in  the  spiritual  good  which 
they  seek  for  themselves,  and  that  our  merciful 
Redeemer  has  given  us  abundant  encouragement  to 
do  so.  The  analogy  between  the  cases  related 
in  the  text,  and  the  instance  of  parents  now  pre- 
senting their  children  to  God  in  the  ordinance  of 


SER.  31.  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  355 

baptism,  is  a  very  obvious  one.  It  is  not  designed 
to  rest  the  authority  of  infant  baptism  upon  this 
analogy.  Yet,  when  the  propriety  of  this  usage  is 
established  by  other  considerations,  our  minds  may 
be  still  farther  satisfied  by  a  reference  to  the  con- 
duct and  language  of  the  great  Head  of  the  church 
in  the  instance  now  under  view. 

Your  attention  was  directed,  a  considerable  time 
since,  to  some  observations  on  the  general  charac- 
ter of  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  and  to  an  inquiry 
into  the  propriety  of  its  use  in  the  case  of  infant 
subjects.  The  discussion  was  then  principally  of  a 
controversial  nature.  It  is  not  now  our  purpose  to 
resume  that  discussion,  but  to  suggest  some  consid- 
erations of  a  practical  kind,  on  the  import  and  use 
of  infant  baptism.  From  these,  some  inferences 
may  be  made  concerning  the  duties  respectively 
devolving  on  those  who  are  participants  in  this  rite. 
After  having  stated  the  grounds  upon  which  we 
rest  our  belief  of  the  divine  authority  of  infant 
baptism,  we  are  not  unfrequently  met  with  this 
objection — Admitting  that  the  usage  in  question  is 
an  authorized  one,  what  are  the  benefits  connected 
with  it,  which  should  induce  an  adoption  of  it  ?  In 
the  instance  of  those  subjects  who  have  arrived  at 
an  age  when  reason  is  in  full  exercise  and  accoun- 
tability begins,  there  appears  to  be  a  propriety  in 
attending  to  this  divine  ordinance.  Upon  a  pro- 
fession of  faith  and  repentance  they  are  admitted  to 


356  THE    IMPORT    AND    USE  SER.  31. 

baptism,  and  from  that  hour  they  are  numbered 
with  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ ;  they  are  viewed 
as  pledged  to  his  service  ;  they  cherish  a  hope 
of  that  deliverance  from  the  influence  and  guilt 
of  sin  which  this  ordinance  figuratively  expresses. 
But  is  it  not  true  that  the  baptism  of  infants  is 
equally  significant  and  equally  beneficial  with  that  of 
adults  ?  Assuredly  so.  And  we  may  consider 
the  subject  in  reference  both  to  parents  and  to 
children.  With  respect  to  the  former,  the  usage 
which  we  are  now  considering  involves  an  expres- 
sion of  their  devotedness  to  God.  The  same  views 
which  lead  to  a  conviction  of  our  own  obligation  to 
the  Almighty,  excite  a  similar  feeling  in  reference 
to  our  offspring.  If  our  existence  has  been  given 
to  us  in  order  to  the  advancement  of  his  glory,  so 
has  theirs  also.  And  as  they  are  in  the  first 
instance,  incompetent  to  recognize  their  obligation, 
we  do  it  on  their  behalf.  But  in  the  second  place, 
besides  this  recognition  of  the  authority  of  our 
Creator  and  Redeemer,  there  is,  under  the  circum- 
stances which  we  are  considering,  a  commending  of 
our  children  to  God's  mercy  and  grace.  The  out- 
ward washing  with  water,  is  emblematic  of  that 
moral  purification  which  consists  in  the  removal  of 
our  guilt  and  the  renovation  of  our  nature  ;  and 
these  are  the  blessings  which  we  devoutly  implore 
on  behalf  of  those  for  whose  happiness  we  are 
scarcely  less  solicitous  than  for  our  own. 


SER.  31.  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  357 

And  in  dedicating  their  children  to  God,  parents 
do  not  simply  obey  the  blended  impulse  of  piety 
and  natural  affection,  they  are  viewed  as  pledged 
to  the  performance  of  certain  duties  ;  duties  not 
wholly,  or  even  principally  arising  out  of  this  act, 
but  as  respects  their  obligation  very  much  strength- 
ened by  it.  They  are  engaged  to  promote  the 
piety  and  eternal  happiness  of  those,  who,  by  them, 
have  been  consecrated  to  the  Almighty's  service, 
and  to  do  this  to  the  full  extent  of  their  ability. 
Such  is  the  import  of  baptism,  in  reference  to  the 
parents  who  dedicate.  With  respect  to  the  uncon- 
scious subjects  of  the  ordinance,  the  benefits  enjoyed 
are  real  and  valuable.  Being  thus  commended  to 
the  blessing  of  God,  and  having  the  prayers  of  faith 
offered  up  on  their  behalf,  there  is  reason  to  hope 
that  they  may  hereafter  become  the  subjects  of 
divine  grace.  And  there  are  additional  grounds 
upon  which  to  rest  this  expectation,  existing  in  the 
fact,  that  the  advantages  of  religious  instruction  are 
in  a  great  degree  secured  to  them.  And  this  is  a 
momentous  consideration.  Viewing  human  beings 
at  their  entrance  on  life  as  ignorant,  the  necessity 
of  instruction  is  most  obvious  ;  regarding  them  as 
the  subject  of  moral  government,  it  is  manifest  that 
information  concerning  their  duty  is  most  important. 
And  taking  into  consideration  the  numberless  snares 
which  beset  their  path,  the  various  seductions  to 
which  they  are  exposed,  and  the  deplorable  ten- 


358  THE    IMPORT    AND    USE  SER.  31. 

dencies  to  evil  existing  in  their  constitution,  we  are 
prepared  to  appreciate  the  value  of  Christian 
knowledge  and  principles,  early  communicated  to 
the  youthful  mind. 

There  is,  indeed,  a  wide  difference  in  the 
condition  of  the  young,  viewed  in  reference  to 
this  subject.  The  children  of  truly  pious  pa- 
rents possess  advantages  which  are  utterly  denied 
to  others.  They  enjoy  the  benefits  of  Chris- 
tian example.  Parental  tenderness,  associated  with 
a  sense  of  duty  to  God,  furnishes  a  pledge  that  they 
will  be  early  instructed  in  the  way  of  salvation. 
They  will  be  warned  of  the  dangers  which  beset 
their  path  ;  they  will  learn  that  sinful  pleasures, 
although  productive  of  momentary  gratification,  in 
the  end  lead  to  misery  ;  that  while  they  are  to  be 
enjoyed  but  for  a  season,  the  evils  consequent  on 
them  abide  forever.  They  will  be  taught  to  fear 
the  Lord  in  their  youth,  to  supplicate  his  forgive- 
ness for  the  evils  they  have  already  committed,  and 
to  walk  in  wisdom's  ways,  that  they  may  finally 
attain  to  its  exceeding  great  reward.  Surely  there 
is  much  greater  reason  to  expect  that  these  will 
become  the  subjects  of  grace  and  the  inheritors  of 
the  kingdom  of  God,  than  that  such  will  be  the 
fact  in  reference  to  those,  who,  in  the  examples 
of  their  parents,  have  found  every  inducement  to 
irreligion,  and  who  have  received  no  instructions 
which  may  counteract  this  evil  influence. 


SER.  31.  OF    INFANT    BAPTISM.  359 

We  would,  however,  by  no  means  convey  the 
idea  that  the  communication  of  the  Almighty's  grace 
is  restricted  to  the  posterity  of  those  who  fear  his 
name.  We  believe  that  it  is,  ordinarily,  thus  dis- 
pensed, but  not  uniformly.  The  children  of  pious 
parents  often  derive  no  ultimate  benefit  from  their 
early  privileges,  but  forfeit,  by  their  misconduct, 
the  blessings  which  awaited  their  acceptance ; 
while  those  who  have  been  reared  without  religious 
instruction  and  under  the  influence  of  evil  example, 
are  sometimes  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  become  the  subject  of  religious  feeling,  and 
attain  the  happiness  which  others  with  superior 
advantages  fall  short  of.  These,  however,  do  not 
constitute  the  general  rule,  but  form  exceptions  to 
it.  And  they  serve  to  show  us  that  salvation  is  not 
the  consequence  of  human  exertions  solely,  but  the 
result  of  the  good  pleasure  of  God. 

We  perceive  then  the  securing  of  religious  instruc- 
tion to  children  is  a  great  benefit  conferred  upon 
them  ;  and  if  a  subjection  to  the  ordinance  of  bap- 
tism have  any  influence  in  producing  this  result,  we 
have  a  very  sufficient  reason  furnished  why  it  should 
be  administered.  Now  of  this  fact  we  have  no 
doubt.  The  most  devout  and  affectionate  parents 
have  their  concern  for  the  salvation  of  their  offspring 
increased  by  the  solemn  act  of  dedication  in  which 
they  engage.  And  in  the  instance  of  those  who 
would  be  less  apt  to  feel  deeply  on  this  subject,  the 


360  THE  IMPORT  AND  USE  SER.  31. 

engagements  into  which  they  have  entered,  become 
a  continual  inducement  to  train  up  their  children  in 
the  way  in  which  they  should  go.  We  are  satisfied 
that  an  appeal  to  the  results  of  experience  will  con- 
firm these  statements. 

So  much  has  been  deemed  necessary  in  reference 
to  the  import  and  use  of  the  rite  of  infant  baptism. 
Upon  these  observations  may  be  grounded  some 
considerations  addressed  to  parents  who  have  pre- 
sented their  children  to  God  in  this  his  ordinance, 
and  to  those  baptized  individuals  who  have  attained 
to  mature  age  without  having  made  a  profession  of 
religion. 

I  would  first  address  the  parents  whose  children 
have  been  subjected  to  the  ordinance  of  which  we 
are  speaking.  You  are  aware  that  having  performed 
this  act  of  dedication,  your  duties  are  not  all  fulfilled. 
Your  solicitude  for  your  children's  spiritual  welfare 
is  not  to  cease.  Nor  are  you  to  intermit  your  exer- 
tions in  promoting  that  end.  You  have  indeed  only 
taken  the  first  step.  You  have  made  engagements 
from  which  you  cannot  be  absolved  without  a  long 
attention  to  the  religious  education  and  moral  disci- 
pline of  your  children.  You  are  to  instruct  them 
concerning  their  obligation  to  God  who  has  made 
them,  and  the  Saviour  who  has  redeemed  them. 
They  must  be  taught  by  you  to  feel  and  lament  the 
tendencies  to  evil  existing  in  their  nature.  And 
while  the  great  guilt  and  terrible  consequences  of 


SER.  31.  OF  INFANT  BAPTISM.  361 

sin  are  unfolded  to  their  view,  you  must  make  them 
acquainted  with  the  mode  in  which,  according  to 
the  gospel  provisions,  salvation  is  attainable  ;  and 
earnestly  admonish  them  of  the  indispensable  ne- 
cessity of  their  becoming  interested  in  that  salvation, 
and  living  in  conformity  to  the  divine  will. 

In  order  to  this,  the  Holy  Scriptures  should  be 
early  placed  in  the  hands  of  our  children ;  they 
should  be  taught  to  place  a  high  value  on  the  com- 
munication of  his  will  which  God  has  made  to  us; 
they  should  be  assisted  in  comprehending  its  declara- 
tions. With  its  narrative  of  God's  dispensations  to 
men — with  its  precepts,  and  threatenings,  and  prom- 
ises, they  should  become  early  and  intimately  ac- 
quainted. It  was  said  in  commendation  of  an  indi- 
vidual and  of  his  parents,  that  from  his  childhood 
he  had  known  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able 
to  make  us  wise  unto  salvation.  And  Christian 
parents  now  should  endeavor  to  produce  a  similar 
result  in  reference  to  their  children. 

But  besides  the  method  of  instruction  which  con- 
sists in  an  early  attention  to  the  Bible  itself,  there  is 
another  which  consists  in  an  attention  to  those  ex- 
positions of  Christian  truth  and  duty  which  are 
termed  catechisms.  These,  when  well  constructed, 
afford  a  brief,  intelligible,  and  methodical  exposition 
of  Christian  principles.  They  have  been  adapted 
to  the  comprehension  of  children  of  different  ages  ; 
and  we  should  proceed  in  order  from  those  which 
46 


362  THE  IMPORT  AND  USE  SEE.  31. 

are  most  simple  to  those  which  require  higher  intelli- 
gence in  order  to  the  proper  understanding  of 
them. 

And  while  on  the  subject  of  youthful  instruction 
in  religion,  a  word  of  commendation  may  be  given 
to  the  Sabbath  school,  whose  sole  object  it  is  to 
promote  this  instruction.  This  institution  deserves 
all  praise,  is  calculated  to  produce  many  beneficial 
effects,  and  has  actually  done  much  good.  Parents 
are  sometimes  not  very  competent  to  instruct  their 
children  ; — more  frequently,  they  are  too  little  dis- 
posed to  it.  And  these  are  the  reasons  why  it  is 
peculiarly  important  that  Sunday  schools  should 
exist.  But  this  is  not  their  sole  merit.  They  are  of 
great  use  to  those  children  who  are  well  instructed 
at  home,  by  exciting  more  lively  attention,  and  more 
strongly  interesting  their  feelings.  Add  to  this, 
those  who  communicate  instruction  to  others,  are 
induced  to  increase  their  own  knowledge,  and  have 
piety  oftentimes  produced  in  their  own  bosoms 
while  endeavoring  to  impart  religious  information  to 
others. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression,  we  observe 
that  parents,  in  addition  to  the  instruction  of  their 
children,  should  be  careful  to  present  to  their  view 
an  example  of  piety  and  righteousness.  The  imi- 
tative principle  in  our  nature  is  a  powerful  one  ;  the 
child  will,  therefore,  more  readily  follow  the  ex- 
ample than  the  precept  of  his  parent.  You  may  tell 


SER.  31.  OF  INFANT  BAPTISM.  363 

him  that  religion  should  be  the  chief  concern  of  his 
life  ;  but  if  he  observes  that  you  are  negligent  of  its 
duties,  and  unmindful  of  its  interests,  he  also  will 
be  negligent  and  unmindful.  You  may  admonish 
him,  and  even  teach  him  to  pray  ;  yet  if  you  are 
inattentive  to  this  duty,  it  is  in  vain  to  expect  that 
your  instructions  will  have  any  influence. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  admonish  you  to  cherish 
always  a  sense  of  the  weight  of  your  obligations, 
and  of  the  quantity  of  happiness  which  is  at  stake  ; 
and  your  instructions  will  be  frequent  and  earnest, 
and  your  pains  unwearied. 

I  would,  however,  yet  address  a  few  observations 
to  those,  who,  baptized  in  infancy,  have  grown  up 
without  becoming  possessed  of  religion.  Your  priv- 
ileges have  been  peculiar,  and  your  obligations  cor- 
respond with  them.  You  have  been  brought  up  in 
the  bosom  of  the  church  ;  parental  affection  has 
offered  up  many  supplications  on  your  behalf;  and 
parental  care  has  long  been  engaged  in  labors  to 
promote  your  salvation.  You  have,  year  after  year, 
been  brought  to  the  house  of  God  ;  you  have  known 
the  divine  will ;  and  the  promises  of  grace  have 
been  repeatedly  made  to  you.  It  is  a  melancholy 
spectacle  to  see  such  still  thoughtless  ;  it  is  dreadful 
too,  if  they  should  become  profligate  in  principle  and 
wicked  in  practice.  It  is  not  enough  that  you  are 
moral  and  amiable;  piety  to  God  must  influence  your 
hearts,  or  your  parents  have  labored  in  vain,  and  your 


364  INFANT  BAPTISM.  SER.  31. 

souls  must  be  lost.  The  rejection  of  the  offered 
mercy  of  the  gospel  by  any  human  being,  is  a  great 
aggravation  of  his  guilt.  It  is  peculiarly  the  case  in 
the  instance  of  those  who  have  been  early  dedicated 
to  God,  and  who  have  enjoyed  all  the  advantages  of 
Christian  instruction  even  from  childhood.  Let  me 
beseech  you,  my  young  friends,  to  consider  these 
things.  The  gratification  of  the  warmest  wishes  of 
a  pious  parent,  the  honor  of  religion,  the  glory  of 
the  Almighty,  the  prosperity  of  the  church,  your 
own  everlasting  welfare,  all  require  you  to  seek  and 
attain  forgiveness  and  grace,  and  to  Jive  in  the 
service  of  your  God  and  Redeemer.  Do  not  resist 
the  united  force  of  these  considerations.  Remember 
your  Creator  in  the  days  of  your  youth  ;  pray  for 
his  mercy  and  grace,  and  submit  yourselves  to  all 
his  commandments.  Take  fast  hold  of  instruction ; 
let  her  not  go  ;  keep  her,  for  she  is  thy  life  ;  she 
will  secure  for  you  honor  and  prosperity  on  earth, 
and  endless  happiness  in  heaven. 


365 


SERMON    XXXII 


THE  WEDDING  GARMENT. 


MATTHEW    XXil.    12,   13. 

And  he  saith  unto  him.  Friend,  how  earnest  thou  in  hither, 

not  having  a  wedding  garment?     Jlnd  he  was  speechless. 

Then  said  the  king  to  his  servants,  Bind  him  hand  and 

foot,  and  take  him  away,  and  cast  him  into  outer  darkness : 

there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

THE  system  of  instruction  by  parables,  adopted 
by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  was  exceedingly  impres- 
sive, and  calculated  to  do  much  good.  Under 
various  representations,  grounded  upon  the  common 
transactions  of  life,  he  imparted  much  spiritual 
knowledge.  The  parable  which  you  have  just 
heard,  has  many  interesting  correspondences  in  the 
economy  by  which  sinners  are  invited  and  brought 
into  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  marriage  feast 
provided  by  the  king  for  his  son,  is  designed  to 


366  THE  WEDDING   GARMENT.  SER.  32. 

represent  the  spiritual  blessings,  which  in  conse- 
quence of  the  incarnation  of  Jesus,  are  offered  to 
mankind — the  servants  sent  out  to  bid  the  guests,  are 
the  ministers  of  the  blessed  gospel. 

There  are  many  important  facts  referred  to  in  this 
parable,  upon  which  we  cannot  dwell.  The  recep- 
tion which  this  message  met  with,  and  the  various 
excuses  offered  for  non-attendance,  might  furnish  us 
with  much  matter  of  solemn  and  improving  medita- 
tion. It  is  not  however,  intended  to  examine  the 
parable  in  all  its  details.  There  are  only  one  or  two 
leading  points  upon  which  I  shall  make  a  few  plain 
remarks.  The  consequences  attendant  on  the  want 
of  a  wedding  garment,  will  be  considered. 

In  illustration  of  the  literal  meaning  of  the  parable, 
we  have  to  observe,  that  among  the  eastern  nations, 
anciently,  it  was  the  custom  to  provide  for  their 
guests  splendid  apparel,  which  they  were  required 
to  put  on  during  the  feasting  in  which  they  were 
engaged.  The  neglect  to  do  this  was  deemed  a 
great  indignity  offered  to  him  who  had  given  the 
feast.  Hence  the  severe  treatment  inflicted  on  him 
who  was  found  without  a  wedding  garment — he  was 
bound  hand  and  foot,  and  cast  into  outer  darkness. 
This  is  termed  outer  darkness,  as  contrasted  with 
the  brilliantly  illuminated  apartment  in  which  the 
festivities  were  performed — the  darkness  without, 
seemed  much  more  deep  when  compared  with  the 
light  within — and  from  the  privation  of  enjoyment, 


SER.  32.  THE  WEDDING  GARMENT.  367 

and  the  intensity  of  cold,  there  would  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

The  spiritual  signification  of  the  marriage  feast 
which  has  been  provided,  has  already  been  sug- 
gested. It  refers  to  the  privileges  of  a  religious 
nature,  which  under  the  gospel  dispensation,  are 
offered  to  men.  What  then  is  the  garment  with 
which  we  must  be  clothed,  in  order  to  the  enjoyment 
of  this  spiritual  feast  ?  It  is  holiness  of  heart  and 
conduct  which  renders  us  fit  partakers  of  the  ordi- 
nances of  Christ.  If  we  possess  it,  when  the  great 
King  shall  come,  we  shall  be  approved  in  his  sight. 
If  we  are  without  it,  the  consequences  will  be  awful. 
To  you,  brethren  in  Christ,  I  wish  to  exhibit  a 
distinct  view  of  this  solemn  subject,  that  you  may 
be  induced  to  examine  with  earnest  care,  whether 
you  have  on  this  wedding  garment.  In  the  parable 
before  us  there  are  these  weighty  truths  inculcated : 

I.  God  will   finally  come  to  judge  whether  you 
are  meet  for  the  enjoyment  of  his  kingdom,  and  will 
perceive  in  many  a  fearful  deficiency. 

II.  Those    who   cannot   stand    his   scrutiny    can 
render  no  excuse. 

III.  They  will  be  punished  severely. 

I.  God,  the  great  king,  who  has  provided  the 
blessings  of  the  gospel,  will  finally  inspect  the 
condition  of  the  visible  church.  For  a  time  saints 
and  sinners  bear  the  same  name,  and  mingle  to- 
gether in  the  participation  of  the  same  ordinances. 


368  THE  WEDDING  GARMENT.  SER.  32. 

To  human  observation  there  is  in  their  characters  no 
difference,  or  if  there  be,  it  does  not  lead  to  their 
exclusion  from  the  society  of  the  faithful.  The 
wheat  and  tares  grow  together  until  the  harvest — 
the  grain  and  chaff  lie  on  the  threshing  floor  until 
the  appointed  period  for  their  separation — the  guests 
sit  together  at  the  marriage  feast,  however  differently 
attired,  until  the  appearance  of  the  provider  of  the 
feast.  The  time  expressed  by  these  different  terms 
is  the  day  of  judgment.  Then  will  the  question  be 
addressed  to  him  who  has  borne  the  name  of 
Christian,  without  having  experienced  the  sanctifica- 
tion  of  the  Spirit,  Why  hast  thou  not  on  a  wedding 
garment  ?  To  many  this  inquiry  will  be  proposed, 
for  there  are  many  who  are  members  of  the  church 
below,  who  are  not  fitted  to  mingle  in  the  com- 
munion of  saints  above.  And  it  will  be  with  them 
as  it  was  with  the  guest  in  the  parable,  who  ap- 
peared in  an  unauthorized  manner — they  will  be 
speechless — utterly  destitute  of  any  thing  to  allege 
in  extenuation  of  their  guilt.  Their  appearance  in 
the  presence  of  God,  without  the  robe  of  righteous- 
ness, is  not  a  matter  of  necessity — holiness  is  attain- 
able by  them,  for  God  has  graciously  promised  to 
produce  it  by  his  Spirit,  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
humbly  seek  his  favor.  There  are  many  ordinances 
of  divine  appointment  which  are  designed  to 
strengthen  our  faith,  nourish  our  hope,  animate  our 
love,  and  lead  to  holiness  of  life.  If  these  be  dili- 


SER.  32.  THE  WEDDING  GARMENT.  369 

gently  attended  on,  with  trust  in  God,  we  shall 
obtain  conformity  to  his  will.  When  therefore,  at 
the  general  audience  of  the  quick  and  dead,  unholy 
professors  of  religion  pass  under  the  inspection  of 
the  Judge,  and  have  the  alarming  question  addressed 
them,  How  earnest  thou  in  hither,  not  having  on  a 
wedding  garment  ?  they  will  be  covered  with  confu- 
sion, and  they  must  submit  without  remedy  to  the 
sentence  to  be  inflicted  on  them.  This  will  be  a 
most  terrible  one — they  will  be  shut  out  from  the 
light  and  glory  of  heaven — they  will  dwell  in  the 
blackness  of  darkness  and  sorrow  forever.  Let  us 
first  consider  the  privation  of  happiness  which  they 
will  experience. 

We  need  not  here  consider  the  spiritual  enjoyment 
which  the  truly  pious  experience  in  the  communion 
of  God  now,  and  which  is  the  earnest  of  the  bles- 
sedness which  is  their  everlasting  portion.  To  those 
who  need  the  alarming  admonition  to  be  enforced, 
we  might  address  this  consideration  in  vain,  for  of 
spiritual  pleasures  they  have  no  conception.  They 
may,  nevertheless,  feel  that  in  the  presence  and 
favor  of  God,  there  must  be  happiness ;  and  that  to 
be  banished  from  him,  must  be  a  fearful  evil.  It  is, 
however,  the  positive  evil  to  be  endured  which  will 
have  upon  him  the  most  alarming  influence.  And 
this  comprises  all  that  to  human  nature  is  most 
dreadful.  We  do  not  understand  the  precise  nature, 
nor  do  we  know  all  the  particulars  of  this  calamity. 
47 


370  THE  WEDDING  GARMENT.  SER.  32. 

It  is  in  Scripture  expressed  by  many  sensible 
images,  and  although  these  are  not  to  be  interpreted 
strictly,  they  certainly  intimate  that  bodily  affliction 
as  well  as  mental  distress  shall  combine  to  form  the 
sorrow  which  is  the  mournful  destiny  of  the  un- 
righteous. Think,  therefore,  of  the  awfulness  of 
this  destiny,  and  feel  how  much  are  to  be  dreaded 
the  consequences  of  not  having  on  a  wedding 
garment. 

I  beseech  you  now,  brethren  professing  faith  in 
Christ,  solemnly  to  consider  this  matter.  Let  your 
hopes  and  prospects  undergo  an  investigation.  Im- 
agine that  the  great  Master  of  assemblies  were  now 
come,  that  in  the  examination  of  those  who  partake 
of  the  gospel  privileges  his  eye  were  successively 
to  rest  on  each  of  you,  that  the  investigation  should 
take  place  whether  you  are  clothed  with  that  right- 
eousness which  becomes  your  profession.  You 
should  solemnly  inquire  what  would  be  the  result  of 
this  investigation.  Were  the  scene  one  of  reality 
and  not  one  of  imagination,  you  would  make  this 
inquiry  with  intense  anxiety  and  overwhelming 
interest,  for  you  would  know  that  results  of  inex- 
pressible importance  were  dependent  on  it.  This 
shall  hereafter  be  a  scene  of  reality,  and  how  soon, 
is  known  only  to  Him  in  whose  hand  your  breath 
is  ;  and  it  will  then  be  too  late  to  provide  against 
the  consequences  of  not  having  on  the  spiritual 
apparel  which  fits  us  for  sitting  down  at  the  marriage 


SER.  32.  THE  WEDDING  GARMENT.  371 

supper  of  the  Lamb.  Examine  yourselves  now, 
and  whatever  may  be  jour  deficiencies,  earnestly 
endeavor  to  have  them  supplied,  that  you  may  not 
be  dismayed  at  the  presence  of  the  Sovereign  of  the 
universe. 

And  does  not  the  solemn  subject  which  we  have 
been  considering,  furnish  some  reflections  of  impor- 
tance to  those  who  are  out  of  the  pale  of  the  visible 
church  ?  It  also  conveys  to  them  a  solemn  lesson — 
they  too  are  destitute  of  holiness — they  will  be 
speechless  in  the  presence  of  their  Judge — they  will 
be  cast  into  outer  darkness,  where  there  is  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Are  you  prepared  to  en- 
counter these  awful  evils  ?  Be  assured  that  they 
are  inevitable,  if  you  continue  in  your  present  condi- 
tion. By  the  terrors,  therefore,  which  will  attend 
your  Lord's  appearing,  by  the  happiness  which  will 
attend  his  favor,  or  the  wo  which  will  be  inflicted 
by  his  displeasure,  you  are  adjured  to  make  effectual 
provision  against  the  day  of  final  account.  Enter 
on  your  work  to-day — to-morrow  may  be  in  another 
world. 


372 


SERMON     XXXIII. 


THE    SINNER    URGED    TO    A    CHOICE 


DEUTERONOMY    XXX.    19. 

/  call  heaven  and  earth  to  record  this  day  against  you,  that 
I  have  set  before  you  life  and  death,  blessing  and  cursing: 
therefore  choose  life,  that  both  thou  and  thy  seed  may  live. 

IT  was  not  investing  with  undue  dignity  and 
importance  a  trivial  transaction,  when  the  Jewish 
lawgiver  made  the  solemn  invocation  with  which 
the  text  commences.  The  season  was  a  most  inter- 
esting one,  and  there  were  circumstances  which 
rendered  an  appeal  to  the  judgment  of  the  universe, 
impressive  and  necessary.  In  his  providence  toward 
the  Israelites,  the  Almighty  had  determined  to  give 
a  remarkable  display  of  his  perfections.  But  while 
subserviency  to  his  will  on  their  part  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  the  happiest  results,  a  contrary  course 
of  conduct  would  lead  to  a  fearful  amount  of  evil. 


SER.  33.  SINNER  URGED  TO  A  CHOICE.  373 

A  numerous  people  would  be  subjected  to  calami- 
ties unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  the  human  race. 
But  this  was  not  all ;  the  temporal  judgments  with 
which  their  transgressions  would  be  visited,  were 
but  the  precursors  of  others  far  more  dreadful  to  be 
exhibited  upon  the  theatre  of  eternity.  Where  the 
dispensations  of  Jehovah  involved  consequences  so 
awful,  it  was  proper  that  his  righteousness  should 
be  fully  vindicated.  It  was  for  this  reason  that 
heaven  and  earth,  and  other  parts  of  the  universe  as 
well  as  the  globe  which  we  occupy,  were  called  to 
witness  that  life  and  death  were  set  before  this 
highly  favored  nation,  that  they  had  been  exhorted 
to  choose  the  former,  and  that  their  misery,  should 
it  ensue,  would  be  wholly  chargeable  upon  their 
own  misconduct.  After  the  expiration  of  many 
ages,  we  make  a  similar  invocation  and  address  a 
like  admonition.  Our  peculiar  concern  is  not  indeed 
with  your  destiny  in  this  life.  Our  mission  refers  to 
your  immortality  and  the  interests  connected  with 
it.  We  call  you  to  record  this  day,  both  heaven 
and  earth,  that  life  and  death  have  been,  and  are 
still  set  before  you,  and  you  are  earnestly  besought 
to  choose  the  former  and  avoid  the  latter.  Life 
and  death  are  set  before  you.  This  is  the  fact 
which  will  be  first  illustrated. 

Two  terminations  of  their  earthly  career  widely 
different  from  each  other,  await  individuals  of  the 
human  race,  and  to  these  terminations  correspond 


374  THE    SINNER    URGED  SER.  33. 

the  paths  which  they  severally  pursue  through  life. 
"  To  those,  who,  by  patient  continuance  in  well 
doing,  seek  for  glory,  honor,  and  immortality, 
eternal  life"  will  be  allotted.  "  But  unto  them 
who  do  riot  obey  the  truth,  but  obey  unrighteous- 
ness, will  be  assigned  indignation  and  wrath,  tribu- 
lation and  anguish."  Thus  are  "  the  wages  of  sin, 
death  ;  while  the  gift  of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
to  those  who  are  penitent  and  obedient,  is  eternal 
happiness."  Such  are  the  declarations  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  oracles  of  God,  which  are  sufficiently  and 
exclusively  adequate  to  give  us  instruction  concern- 
ing futurity.  The  Almighty  has,  in  these  books, 
revealed  his  will,  that  we  might  conform  ourselves 
to  it.  He  has  enforced  obedience  by  presenting  to 
us  the  hope  of  happiness  and  the  fear  of  misery. 

Death  is  exhibited  to  our  view  as  the  consequence 
of  sin.  The  evil  which  we  are  required  to  avoid  is 
displayed  in  all  its  forms.  It  cannot,  therefore,  win 
our  confidence  by  assuming  the  garb  of  virtue,  and 
there  is  thus  no  danger  of  incurring  guilt  while  we 
conceive  ourselves  to  be  acting  innocently.  We 
shall  experience  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining  what 
conduct  is  inconsistent  with  the  holiness  of  God, 
and  will  be  visited  with  his  displeasure.  The 
penalty  denounced  upon  transgression  is  not  so 
trifling  as  to  afford  license  for  its  perpetration.  For 
the  loss  of  all  enjoyment,  and  the  ever  during  sub- 
jection to  suffering,  present  a  prospect  sufficiently 
appalling. 


SER.  33.  TO    A    CHOICE.  375 

Life  is  also  set  before  us,  and  in  this  term  is 
comprised  all  that  can  excite  our  most  earnest 
desires.  Pure,  abiding,  exalted  happiness  is  asso- 
ciated with  an  obedience  to  the  divine  will,  uniform 
and  never  failing.  But  since  the  way  of  happiness 
is  not  to  be  entered  upon  through  this  avenue,  in 
consequence  of  our  numerous  transgressions,  another 
way  has  been  opened  to  us.  The  favor  of  God  is 
extended  to  those,  however  guilty  they  may  have 
been,  who  seek  reconciliation  through  the  atone- 
ment of  Jesus,  and  who,  in  dependence  upon  divine 
assistance,  carefully  obey  the  divine  precepts. 
These  are  statements  which  will  be  confirmed  by  a 
reference  to  the  pages  of  revelation.  Their  uniform 
tenor  is,  that  the  Almighty  will  severely  punish 
those  who  transgress  his  laws  and  reject  his  grace  ; 
that  he  will  extend  mercy  to  those  who  seek  it 
through  the  appointed  medium  and  in  the  prescribed 
manner.  The  conclusion  is,  that  sufficient  infor- 
mation is  given  to  us  concerning  our  duty,  and  in 
regard  to  the  consequences  of  performing  or  neg- 
lecting it.  This  is,  indeed,  only  addressed  to  our 
faith,  but  it  is  grounded  upon  evidence  which  will 
justify  the  most  complete  reliance.  But  our  Crea- 
tor confirms  the  testimony  of  his  word  by  his  voice 
speaking  within  our  own  bosoms,  we  do  not  act 
criminally  without  experiencing  the  rebuke  of  con- 
science, nor  do  we  act  well  without  an  inward 
feeling  of  joy  and  satisfaction.  Were  there,  then, 


376  THE    SINNER    URGED  SER.  33. 

no  external  revelation  of  the  will  of  God,  still,  man- 
kind could  not  sin  ignoraritly.  Still  must  they 
know,  that  the  Almighty  approves  one  line  of  con- 
duct rather  than  another.  It  is,  therefore,  unde- 
niable that  men  are  sufficiently  warned  of  the  evils 
toward  which  they  are  advancing  ;  that  there  is 
communicated  to  them  a  knowledge  of  the  means 
of  happiness  abundantly  sufficient.  Those,  then, 
who  perish,  do  not  perish  in  ignorance.  I  now  pro- 
ceed to  observe,  that  the  destruction  of  the  sinner 
is  attributable  to  himself  alone,  since,  with  life  and 
death  set  before  him,  he  chooses  the  latter.  It 
may  be  imagined  that  this  statement  does  not  con- 
sist with  the  doctrines  of  human  inability,  and  of 
the  necessity  of  a  divine  influence  to  renew  the 
heart.  We  have  heard  this  objection  urged  in 
reply  to  the  admonition  to  repent  and  be  converted ; 
a  desire  to  obtain  salvation  has  been  expressed,  and 
the  failure  in  attaining  it  has  been  ascribed  to  the 
impotence  and  not  to  the  depravity  of  man.  It  has, 
therefore,  been  the  practice  with  some  teachers,  to 
obviate  this  difficulty  and  take  away  the  sinner's 
excuse  by  asserting  his  independent  competency  to 
work  out  his  own  salvation.  It  is  not,  however, 
necessary  that  we  abandon  one  part  of  divine  truth 
in  order  to  sustain  another.  The  dependence  of 
man  upon  divine  grace  may  be  admitted,  and  yet  it 
may  be  made  to  appear  that  he  is  guilty  in  neglect- 
ing to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the  gospel.  I 


SER.  33.  TO    A    CHOICE.  377 

shall  reserve  for  a  future  occasion  a  full  discussion 
of  this  subject,  and  shall  at  this  time  merely  state 
the  nature  of  that  inability  which  we  predicate  of 
unrenewed  men. 

It  is  not,  then,  a  physical  inability  arising  from  a 
defect  of  natural  power  ;  it  is  moral,  arising  from 
depraved  affections,  and  indisposition  to  good. 
When  therefore  we  say  that  the  sinner  cannot  re- 
pent and  perform  acceptable  obedience  without  the 
assistance  of  divine  grace,  we  do  not  mean  that  he 
is  destitute  of  the  natural  capacity  for  the  exercise 
of  these  functions.  Our  assertion  respects  the  strong 
tendency  to  evil  and  aversion  to  good,  which  pro- 
duce a  bondage  of  the  will.  He  does  not  love  God, 
and  cannot  therefore  worship  or  serve  him.  He 
does  love  sin,  and  has  not  a  heart  to  relinquish  its 
enjoyments. 

It  is  thus  evident  that  the  inability  which  we 
ascribe  to  the  unregenerate,  is  criminal.  It  is  not 
our  misfortune,  but  goes  far  to  constitute  our  guilt. 
It  is  moreover  apparent  that  such  an  inability  as 
this  does  not  preclude  the  use  of  exhortations  to 
good.  Being  seated  in  the  will,  it  is  proper  that 
motives  be  addressed  in  order  to  its  removal.  The 
exhibition  of  these  motives  is  the  instrument  which 
the  Almighty  uses  and  renders  effectual  in  the  pro- 
duction of  this  end.  We  therefore  warn  and  teach 
every  man  as  if  salvation  were  entirely  in  their  own 
48 


378  THE    SINNER    URGED  SER.  33. 

grasp ;  because  in  fact  the  only  obstacle  to  his  at- 
taining it  exists  in  his  own  depraved  dispositions. 

These  remarks  serve  to  show  that  the  divine 
goodness  and  justice  remained  unimpeached  by  the 
final  destruction  of  the  impenitent  sinner.  The 
practice  of  sin  is  persisted  in,  although  every  warn- 
ing is  given,  and  every  motive  presented  to  induce 
a  change  of  life.  We  are  therefore  our  own  de- 
stroyers. 

But  it  is  not  enough  for  those  who  declare  the 
will  of  God  among  you  to  know  that  neither  their 
own  fidelity,  nor  the  righteousness  of  the  divine 
dispensations  can  be  arraigned.  The  evil  which 
they  deeply  deplore  still  exists — immortal  beings 
are  hastening  to  their  awful  doom  ;  and  to  arrest 
them  in  this  career,  shall  be  the  object  of  their 
strong  solicitude  and  earnest  exertion.  And  this 
day,  while  life  and  death,  blessing  and  cursing  are 
set  before  you,  I  would  exhort  to  choose  the  former, 
that  you  may  live  forever.  But  is  it  possible  that 
we  require  persuasion  to  induce  us  to  prefer  good  to 
evil  ?  To  act  otherwise  seems  to  be  to  act  contrary 
to  the  fundamental  law  of  our  nature.  This  anom- 
aly does  exist  however.  And  where  the  greatest 
happiness  and  the  greatest  misery  are  set  in  view, 
multitudes  in  effect  choose  the  latter.  I  say  in 
effect,  for  at  the  time,  they  do  not  suppose  them- 
selves to  be  acting  thus  unreasonably.  For  evil  in 
the  connection  in  which  the  mind  perceives  it, 


SER.  33.  TO  A  CHOICE.  379 

appears  good,  and  good  seems  evil.  This  statement 
requires  illustration.  Evil  seems  good  ;  for  dreadful 
as  is  the  termination  of  the  sinner's  course,  in  its 
beginning  it  is  productive  of  delight.  Unrestrained 
indulgence  in  sensual  pleasure  will  for  a  while  be 
considered  the  only  means  of  happiness.  That  gay 
thoughtlessness  which  involves  a  forgetfulness  of 
God  and  the  all  important  duties  of  religion,  may 
for  the  present  be  felt  to  be  a  delightful  frame  of 
mind.  The  possession  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life,  by  whatsoever  means  obtained,  may  in  regard 
to  the  enjoyment  which  it  brings,  be  thought  the 
"  one  thing  needful."  Yet  with  all  this  imaginary 
good,  is  linked,  by  an  indissoluble  bond,  the  dread 
retribution  of  a  future  state.  And  it  is  by  dwelling 
on  the  contemplation  of  the  former  and  excluding 
the  latter  from  their  view,  that  men  are  induced  to 
act  in  a  manner  so  widely  inconsistent  with  true 
wisdom.  Good  moreover  appears  to  them  evil.  To 
subject  the  being  to  the  control  of  reason  and  re- 
ligion— to  bestow  a  thoughtful  attention  to  the 
realities  of  a  future  state — to  obey  the  will  of  God 
when  that  will  requires  us  to  sacrifice  our  inclina- 
tions and  perform  arduous  duties,  are  things  not 
agreeable  to  our  depraved  natures.  Nor  are  men 
sufficiently  attentive  in  order  to  confirm  their  waver- 
ing resolution,  to  take  into  view  the  happy  conse- 
quences of  such  a  line  of  conduct — consequences 


380  THE  SINNER  URGED  SER.  33. 

which  although  not  now  discernible,  yet  will  cer- 
tainly be  experienced  in  another  world. 

Here,  then,  is  the  great  error  of  irreligious  men. 
They  confound  the  characters  of  good  and  evil,  and 
led  away  in  pursuit  of  what  they  imagine  to  be  the 
former,  they  are,  ere  they  are  aware  of  it,  involved 
in  irremediable  wretchedness.  I  entreat  you,  there- 
fore, to  be  careful  that  you  understand  this  matter 
aright.  Endeavor  to  distinguish  what  will  truly 
conduce  to  your  happiness.  Do  not  imagine  that 
what  now  seems  to  you  desirable,  is  so  in  reality. 
Take  a  comprehensive  view  of  your  existence  in  its 
whole  extent.  On  one  hand  place  the  sinful  joys 
of  this  life,  and  connect  them  with  the  gloom,  and 
agony,  and  despair  of  the  spirits  who  dwell  in  dark- 
ness. On  the  other  hand,  associate  the  few  priva- 
tions demanded  by  religion  with  the  pure  joys  which 
attend  its  possession,  and  add  the  high  happiness 
possessed  by  the  souls  of  the  just  in  their  state  of 
perfection.  Here,  then,  are  emphatically  life  and 
death  set  before  you.  Make  therefore  your  selec- 
tion between  them.  Choose  you  must.  A  neces- 
sity is  laid  on  you.  Good  and  evil  are  before  you 
—the  one  must  be  enjoyed,  or  the  other  endured — 
there  is  no  medium  between  them.  Those  whom 
the  Almighty  does  not  admit  to  his  presence  here- 
after, will  not  have  that  mingled  experience  of 
enjoyment  and  suffering  which  they  now  have. 


SER.  33.  TO  A  CHOICE.  381 

They  shall  lie  down  in  sorrow,  and  the  last  ray  of 
hope  shall  be  extinguished  forever. 

While  your  attention  is  directed  to  this  solemn 
winding  up  of  the  transactions  of  time,  you  will 
feel  no  hesitation  in  exclaiming,  '  May  mine  be 
the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  may  my  latter  end 
be  like  his.'  But  with  the  death  of  the  righteous, 
is  inseparably  joined  his  life.  The  happiness  of 
the  former,  is  the  result  of  the  holiness  of  the 
latter. 

I  would,  therefore,  first,  admonish  you  that  in 
order  to  the  attainment  of  life,  you  must  choose  the 
means  of  it.  "  Repent  and  be  converted,  that  your 
sins  may  be  blotted  out."  Obtain  an  interest  in 
the  redemption  of  Christ,  and  live  in  obedience  to 
the  divine  commandments.  This  obedience  will 
evince  the  sincerity  of  your  faith  and  love,  and  will 
be  to  yourselves  and  to  the  world  an  evidence  of 
your  preparation  for  the  last  great  change  which 
shall  pass  upon  you. 

But  it  is  all  important  that  the  choice  be  made 
immediately.  Can  you  give  any  reason  for  delaying 
it  ?  Will  any  good  result  from  postponing  an  atten- 
tion to  the  interest  of  your  souls  ?  You  cannot  give 
any  reason.  There  is  not  any  benefit,  unless  you 
frankly  avow  that  a  life  of  thoughtlessness,  folly 
and  sin,  is  far  more  delightful  to  you  than  one  dis- 
tinguished by  the  service  of  the  Almighty;  and  that 
the  former  you  pursue  from  inclination,  but  the 


382  THE  SINNER  URGED  SER.  33. 

latter  you  will  not  adopt  until  there  appears  for  it 
an  absolute  necessity.  This  necessity  you  do  not 
now  perceive.  You  are  young.  You  are  in  vig- 
orous health.  The  career  of  life  is  stretched  out 
before  you  to  an  undefined  extent.  Numberless 
future  enjoyments  solicit  your  regard.  You  say  to 
your  soul,  "  Soul,  take  thine  ease  ;  thou  hast  much 
goods  laid  up  for  many  years  ;  eat,  drink,  and  be 
merry."  Presuming  therefore  upon  a  long  life,  you 
put  far  from  you  the  thought  of  eternity  with  its 
tremendous  realities.  You  determine  to  be  religious 
when  for  the  enjoyment  of  life  you  are  no  longer 
fitted.  To  cherish  these  views  and  determinations,  is 
to  make  the  very  goodness  of  God  an  inducement  to 
continue  in  rebellion  against  him.  And  how  awful 
the  guilt  is  which  attends  such  conduct,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  show.  In  regard  to  the  aggravation 
of  your  guilt,  it  is  not  now  designed  to  make  any 
remarks.  It  is  the  danger  of  acting  in  this  manner, 
of  which  I  wish  to  convince  you. 

You  postpone  your  reconciliation  with  God  until 
you  are  laid  on  the  bed  of  sickness  and  death. 
Then  earth  has  nothing  more  in  reserve  for  you. 
You  feel  that  it  is  necessary  to  make  some  provision 
for  futurity.  But  is  it  in  your  power  to  make  that 
provision  when  you  please  ?  If  it  be  so  at  ordinary 
times,  will  it  be  so  at  the  period  to  which  you  refer 
the  great  concern  of  salvation  ?  In  regard  to  both 
these  subjects,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  you  are  greatly 


SER.  33.  TO    A    CHOICE.  383 

in  error.  You  think  you  can  provide  for  salvation 
at  any  time  you  please  to  do  so.  But  is  forgiveness 
bestowed  as  a  matter  of  right  upon  him  who  con- 
descends to  ask  for  it?  Is  it  necessarily  and  of 
course  communicated  even  to  those  who  bitterly 
regret  their  past  folly  and  wickedness  ?  No !  Sal- 
vation is  the  absolute  gift  of  the  all-gracious  God. 
Nothing  which  we  can  do  can  give  us  a  claim  to  it* 
It  is  indeed  uniformly  conferred  upon  those  who 
have  humble  and  contrite  hearts.  But  how  widely 
different  from  these  are  they  who  seek  the  divine 
favor  only  under  the  dread  of  impending  vengeance, 
and  who  have  spent  all  the  years  of  their  healthful 
vigor  in  the  practice  of  sin.  Have  they  any  just 
ground  to  expect  the  divine  mercy  ?  They  have 
none. 

But  if  the  attainment  of  reconciliation  with  God 
be  not  in  our  power  at  any  time,  much  less  is  it  so 
in  the  season  of  bodily  distress,  and  upon  the  ap- 
proach of  death.  Then  reason  may  be  confounded 
at  the  first  onset  of  disease — the  stroke  of  death 
may  be  instantaneous,  or  the  pains  of  the  body 
furnish  little  opportunity  for  the  collected  exercise 
of  the  powers  of  the  mind — and  thus  the  soul  passes 
as  it  had  lived,  to  encounter  an  awful  retribution. 
You  thus  perceive  how  vain  it  is  to  rely  upon  the 
efficacy  of  a  death-bed  repentance.  But  your  views 
may  not  extend  thus  far.  You  may  be  satisfied 
with  reserving  a  portion  of  your  life  for  the  gratifi- 


384  THE    SINNER    URGED  SER.  33. 

cation  of  your  own  desires,  and  determine  to  devote 
the  residue  to  the  great  duties  of  serving  God  and 
preparing  for  a  future  state.  But  when  will  you 
enter  upon  these  duties  ?  Whether  you  say  at  the 
expiration  of  several  years,  or  months,  or  even  a 
few  days,  still  there  is  one  appalling  consideration, 
which  should  excite  to  immediate  action.  It  is 
only  the  present  moment  which  you  can  know 
certainly  to  be  your  own.  We  should  not  even 
think  of  to-morrow,  "  for  where  is  to-morrow  ?" 

• ,  '  >  •;    (Jj,   v 

"  In  another  world  ;  this  is  sure  to  thousands, 
The  reverse  to  none." 

Where  the  happiness  of  our  souls  throughout  end- 
less ages  is  at  stake,  it  is  folly  to  omit  securing 
it  now,  and  to  defer  it  to  a  period  which  never 
may  arrive.  '  To-day,  therefore,  if  ye  will  hear 
the  voice  of  a  merciful  God,  harden  not  your  hearts. 
Now  is  the  accepted  time  ;  this  is  the  day  of  sal- 
vation.' 

At  the  present  time,  I  would  especially  urge  you 
to  make  a  decision  upon  this  momentous  subject. 
In  a  short  time  we  shall  make  a  public  profession  of 
our  faith  in  Him  who  has  redeemed  us.  Shall  we 
not  then  see  some  whose  purposes  of  good  have 
become  so  matured  as  to  induce  them  for  the  first 
time  to  lay  hold  on  the  covenant  of  their  God — to 
express  their  hope  and  pledge  their  obedience.  Let 
not  a  sense  of  unworthiness  deter  such  from  en- 


SER.  33.  TO    A    CHOICE.  385 

J- 

gaging  in  the  solemn  act  before  us.  If  you  repent 
of  jour  sins — if  your  hopes  of  salvation  rest  upon 
Jesus  Christ — if  you  cherish  a  sincere  purpose  of 
rendering  new  obedience,  there  is  no  obstacle  pre- 
sented to  you.  Obey  the  impulse  to  good  which 
you  feel  in  your  own  bosoms,  and  new  grace  shall 
be  added  to  that  from  which  this  impulse  springs. 
Stay  not  until  you  are  better  prepared.  All  the 
worthiness  required  is  a  sense  of  utter  unworthi- 
ness.  The  gospel  feast  is  provided  for  humbled 
sinners.  There  are  no  alarming  denunciations  to 
fill  us  with  dread.  The  gracious  invitation  is, 
"  Whosoever  will,  let  him  come  and  take  of  the 
water  of  life  freely." 


49 


386 


SERMON    XXXIV. 

t 
ON  UNION  WITH  CHRIST. 

or  3f!0(tJ>h.nijfi9f>  gnirrnelfc^oii   atfi  ercailT     .p/j^nrna' 

===== 
od)  "to  ^c)  buc  oinoo  mid  to!  Jliw  7979O8ori7f  »* 

JOHN  xv.  5. 

J  cwi  *Ae  vine,  ye  are  the  branches  :  he  that  abideth  in  me, 
and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit :  for 
without  me  ye  can  do  nothing. 

IT  is  perfectly  unintelligible,  rny  brethren,  how 
the  Saviour  could  express  himself  in  this  manner, 
and  yet  possess  no  greater  superiority  of  nature  or 
character  than  is  ascribed  to  him  by  some  who  bear 
the  Christian  name.  If  he  had  been  simply  a 
human  teacher,  although  mighty  in  deed,  and  wise 
in  instructing,  he  would  still  have  been  a  man  like 
ourselves — he  could  not  with  any  propriety  be  said 
to  abide  in  us — it  would  have  been  most  arrogant 
and  impious  in  him,  to  declare,  "Without  me  ye  can 
do  nothing." 


SER.  34.  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  387 

But,  conceive  of  Jesus  Christ  as  divine — as  God 
dwelling  in  human  flesh — and  all  this  is  true  and 
consistent.  We  can  well  conceive  how  all  good  is 
derived  from  him — how  the  life  of  the  soul  and  the 
production  of  holy  fruits  depend  upon  union  with 
Christ.  The  fact  and  the  importance  of  this  union 
with  the  Saviour,  are  the  ideas  involved  in  the  text. 
Let  us  therefore  bestow  some  attention  in  the  eluci- 
dation of  this  subject. 

I.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  connection  existing 
between  believers  and  the  object  of  their  faith  ? 
This  is  the  first  inquiry.  It  is  that  of  a  teacher  and 
his  disciples.  "  Rabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art  a 
teacher  sent  from  God,"  expresses  a  feeling  which 
forms  one  element  of  the  Christian  character.  The 
instructions  given  by  the  Lord  Jesus  are  received  as 
authoritative  declarations  of  what  we  are  to  believe 
and  what  we  are  to  practice.  They  are  to  be  re- 
ceived as  submissively  as  a  child  receives  the  first 
elements  of  knowledge  from  an  instructor,  towards 
whom  he  entertains  the  highest  veneration,  and  in 
whom  he  has  the  most  implicit  confidence. 

But  the  connection  which  exists  between  Christ 
and  believers,  is  that  sustained  by  a  federal  head 
towards  those  whom  he  represents  in  a  covenant 
made  on  their  behalf.  According  to  the  language 
of  the  Apostle  to  the  Romans,  "  as  by  one  man's 
disobedience,  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the 
obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous." 


;       '!» 

388  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  SER.  34. 

The  acts  of  the  Redeemer  performed  as  our  covenant 
head,  are,  as  respects  certain  purposes,  reckoned  as 
our  own  acts.  His  sustaining  the  penalty  of  the 
Almighty's  broken  law,  and  his  perfect  obedience  to 
its  requisitions,  are,  in  reference  to  our  justification 
before  God,  reckoned  as  a  satisfaction  to  the  divine 
justice  on  our  behalf — so  that  to  the  believing  peni- 
tent, mercy  may  be  extended  consistently  with  the 
honor  of  the  divine  government.  It  is  thus  that 
Jesus  Christ  represents  believers  in  the  covenant 
which  the  Father  has  graciously  entered  into  with 
his  creatures. 

There  is  however,  another  connection  which  they 
sustain  toward  him.  He  is  to  them  the  source  of  a 
spiritual  communication,  by  which  the  apprehensions 
and  affections  of  the  soul  are  changed,  by  which  he 
who  has  been  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  becomes 
alive  to  righteousness — rejoices  in  the  service  of 
God,  and  departs  from  iniquity.  The  Spirit  of  God, 
the  agent  in  our  sanctification,  operates  in  conse- 
quence of  the  reconciliation  effected  by  the  Son. 
The  vital  energy  residing  in  the  head  is  transfused 
through  all  the  members.  The  Spirit  which  without 
measure  dwells  in  the  Mediator,  is  in  various  de- 
grees imparted  to  the  several  members  of  the 
church,  which  is  his  body.  With  regard  to  this 
connexion  I  observe, 

1.  That  it  is  a  most  intimate  one.  "  I  am  the  vine, 
ye  are  the  branches."  This  is  the  similitude  under 


SER.  34.  UNION    WITH  CHRIST.  389 

which  it  is  expressed,  and  it  certainly  conveys  the 
idea  of  intimate  association  and  entire  dependence. 
Nor  can  the  propriety  of  the  illustration  thus  given, 
be  contested.  The  notion  involved  in  the  com- 
parison is  the  communication  of  life.  As  the  sap 
flowing  from  the  vine  to  its  several  branches  pro- 
duces verdure  and  fruitfulness,  so  the  grace  pro- 
ceeding from  Christ  produces  in  his  followers  spirit- 
ual life  and  the  practice  of  piety. 

2.  The  connection  of  which  we  are  speaking  is 
also  a  necessary  one.  "He  that  abideth  in  me  and 
I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit,  for 
without  me  ye  can  do  nothing."  This  is  the  decla- 
ration of  the  Saviour  himself.  In  order  to  appre- 
hend the  correctness  of  this  statement,  let  us  consider 
the  nature  of  the  life  which  the  Christian  enjoys. 
It  is  a  life  of  acceptance  with  God.  No  longer 
under  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  deprived  of  the 
favor  of  the  Creator,  the  Christian  is  brought  near  to 
God — and  contemplates  him  as  a  reconciled  Father. 
And  this  life  of  acceptance  which  he  lives,  is  by  the 
faith  of  the  Son  of  God.  It  is  through  the  merits  of 
Christ  that  we  are  introduced  into  this  state.  Our 
continuance  in  it  depends  on  the  same  ground.  He 
that  believeth  in  Jesus  shall  be  saved — he  that 
believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  and  the  wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  him. 

Our  deliverance  from  the  condemnation  due  to  our 
sins  is  obtained  only  in  one  method — there  is  a  way 


390  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  SER.  34. 

of  salvation  opened  by  the  Redeemer,  and  other 
foundation  than  this  upon  which  to  ground  the  hope 
of  happiness,  can  no  man  lay.  We  cannot  stand  in 
judgment  with  the  Almighty  and  receive  his  appro- 
bation on  the  account  of  our  own  obedience.  Many 
have  been  the  years  of  our  alienation  from  him,  and 
deeply  stained  have  they  been  with  various  transgres- 
sions. Not  to  the  justice  of  our  Creator  therefore, 
but  to  his  mercy,  must  our  appeal  be  made — and 
that  mercy  alone  operates  through  the  redemption  of 
Jesus,  and  towards  those  who  are  united  to  him  by 
a  living  faith.  Without  Christ,  then,  we  can  do 
nothing  toward  our  justification  with  God. 

The  life  however,  which  the  Christian  leads,  is 
not  merely  one  of  acceptance  and  reconciliation, 
but  of  communion  with  the  Father — and  this  com- 
munion, in  its  origin  arid  continuance,  depends  upon 
union  with  Christ. 

It  is  comparatively  of  little  moment  that  the 
iniquities  of  our  past  lives  are  pardoned,  if  the 
principle  of  corruption  remains  unextinguished  in  the 
heart.  It  will  only  remain  for  us  to  commence  a 
new  series  of  crime — we  shall  be  as  far  removed  as 
ever  from  either  approving  the  character  of  God,  or 
of  being  ourselves  approved  by  him — and  under 
these  circumstances,  can  never  inherit  the  blessed- 
ness of  his  kingdom.  In  the  economy  of  our 
redemption,  therefore,  Jesus  Christ  is  made  the 
medium  through  which  not  merely  pardon  but  holi- 


SER.  34.  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  391 

ness  is  conveyed.  To  his  disciples  he  communicates 
the  grace  which  forms  them  into  new  creatures, — 
and  then  the  practice  of  righteousness  becomes  their 
delightful  employment — they  can  approve  of  the 
holy  law  of  God — contemplate  his  perfections  with 
pleasure — pray  to  him  with  humble  confidence,  and 
rejoice  in  hope  of  the  full  manifestation  of  his  favor. 
Let  us  now  reflect  on  the  consequences  of  this 
union  with  Christ.  They  are  most  interesting — for 
they  comprise  present  peace,  and  the  certainty  of 
future  blessedness.  Because  I  live,  ye  shall  live 
also,  said  the  Saviour  to  his  disciples.  It  has 
already  been  remarked,  that  by  virtue  of  our  con- 
nection with  the  Saviour,  his  acts  as  respects  certain 
purposes,  are  reckoned  as  our  acts.  In  him  we  die 
under  the  curse  of  a  broken  law — justice  is  satisfied, 
and  we  are  absolved  from  punishment.  In  him  we 
are  raised  to  a  life  of  acceptance  with  God  here,  and 
in  his  resurrection  from  the  grave  and  entrance  into 
heaven,  we  have  an  earnest  and  a  pattern  of  our 
own  rising  to  glory  at  the  last  day.  Can  we  then 
doubt  the  importance  of  our  becoming  branches  of 
this  vine  ?  We  shall  thus  have  secured  to  us  happi- 
ness of  the  highest  order,  and  which  can  be  obtained 
no  otherwise.  The  Scriptures,  the  rule  of  our  faith, 
the  only  unerring  index  to  our  condition  in  a  future 
state,  furnish  us  with  no  hope  other  than  what  is 
grounded  upon  the  redemption  of  Jesus — and  is 


392  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  SER.   34. 

beneficial  to  none  but  those,  who  in  the  prescribed 
manner  become  interested  in  it. 

Since,  then,  results  so  momentous  depend  upon 
union  with  Christ,  the  inquiry  into  the  evidence 
which  will  satisfactorily  demonstrate  this  fact,  is 
certainly  a  most  interesting  and  important  one. 

"  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  Jesus  he  is  a  new 
creature,  old  things  are  passed  away,  all  things  have 
become  new."  This  is  a  scriptural  criterion  by 
which  we  may  determine  the  relation  which  exists 
between  the  Redeemer  and  ourselves.  If  we  are 
united  to  him,  we  become  new  creatures,  i.  e.  in  a 
moral  sense,  for  the  man  physically  and  in  an  in- 
tellectual view,  continues  the  same.  But  in  his 
moral  apprehensions  and  feelings  a  great  change  has 
been  produced.  Old  things  have  passed  away.  The 
hopeless  subjection  to  sin — the  love  of  it,  and  the 
strong  aversion  to  the  service  of  God — the  blindness 
in  spiritual  things  which  distinguish  us  in  our  natural 
state,  are  removed.  All  things  have  become  new  ; 
new  affections  animate  the  soul — a  new  course  of 
conduct  is  entered  upon — other  and  higher  prospects 
allure  our  desires.  The  change  wrought  in  the 
new  creation  is  from  evil  to  good.  We  cherish 
divine  truth  ;  we  love  God,  affectionately  rely  on 
the  Saviour,  and  humbly  walk  in  his  footsteps. 
This,  my  brethren,  is  to  be  in  Christ ;  this  is  to  be 
a  fruitful  branch  of  that  vine  which  our  heavenly 
Father  hath  planted. 


SER.  34.  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  393 

You  are  connected  with  the  visible  body  of  Christ 
— do  you  possess  a  spiritual  union  with  him  ?  This 
is  an  inquiry  of  unutterable  importance.  Members 
of  the  church  on  earth  do  not  in  virtue  of  this  union 
merely,  pass  into  the  enjoyments  of  the  church  tri- 
umphant. Christ  has  declared,  "Not  every  one  that 
saith  unto  me,  Lord!  Lord!  shall  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Fa- 
ther." "  Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  God." 
See  to  it,  therefore,  that  your  hopes  of  the  divine 
favor  repose  on  a  proper  foundation.  Strive  to  obtain 
reconciliation  with  your  God,  and  the  sanctification 
of  your  nature,  and  let  your  lives  consist  with  the 
precepts  of  the  gospel.  Remember  your  continual 
dependence  upon  divine  grace  ;  meditate  upon 
divine  truth  ;  commune  with  your  own  hearts  and 
be  still ;  pray  to  the  Author  of  good,  and  attend  on 
his  ordinances.  Let  Christ  abide  in  you,  and  abide 
ye  in  him  ;  for  without  him,  ye  can  do  nothing. 

But  you  do  not  all  profess  to  be  united  to  Christ. 
Many  of  you  act  as  if  it  were  of  no  importance  to 
be  so.  Unreconciled  to  God,  you  seem  not  sensible 
of  the  necessity  of  procuring  his  favor  ;  involved  in 
guilt,  you  appear  unapprised  of  the  awful  conse- 
quences to  which  it  leads  ;  impotent  in  yourselves, 
you  do  not  turn  to  Him  in  whom  all  grace  is  trea- 
sured up.  It  is  a  melancholy  spectacle  to  see  you 
thus  unconcerned  and  inattentive  to  your  duty, 
while  the  precious  hours  of  life  are  wasting,  while 
50 


394  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  SER.  34. 

opportunity  after  opportunity  is  passing  away  un- 
improved, when  the  term  of  your  probation  may  be 
almost  exhausted. 

In  closing  an  address  on  that  union  with  Christ 
which  is  productive  of  such  happy  effects,  I  cannot 
but  tender  to  those  who  have  been  hitherto  careless, 
a  solemn  admonition  to  seek  this  great  blessedness. 
It  is  offered  to  the  possession  of  every  sinner,  and 
the  neglect  to  acquire  it,  will  issue  in  ruin  hopeless 
and  unutterably  great.  I  beseech  you,  therefore, 
to  be  reconciled  to  God.  Alienated  from  him,  you 
perish  ;  reconciled,  you  live  and  die  happy  with 
him  forever.  These  are  solemn  truths  which  have 
been  often  proclaimed  to  you  ;  they  are  truths 
which  many  of  you  admit  in  words  ;  but  where  is 
the  conduct  which  we  might  expect  from  those 
who  really  cherish  these  impressions  ?  If  the  for- 
giveness of  your  sins  and  an  interest  in  the  Re- 
deemer, obtained  in  the  manner  exhibited  in  the 
gospel,  be  indispensable  to  your  happiness,  why  do 
you  neglect  so  entirely  this  great  interest  ? 

Many  of  you,  no  doubt,  think  that  you  will  not 
altogether  neglect  it.  There  is  some  period,  fixed 
or  contingent,  when  it  is  your  secret  determination 
to  attend  to  religious  duty,  and  to  seek  pardon  and 
the  purification  of  your  nature,  and  thus  to  become 
prepared  for  the  happiness  of  a  life  to  come.  Thus 
you  resolve,  although  your  own  judgment  and  ob- 
servation will  tell  you  what  you  have  so  frequently 


SER.  34.  UNION  WITH  CHRIST.  395 

heard  declared  to  you  from  this  place — that  life  is 
uncertain,  death  often  unexpected,  and  reason  often 
lost  at  the  first  onset  of  disease ;  and  what  is  most 
important  of  all,  that  presumptuously  continuing  in 
sin  and  neglect  of  religion  in  the  days  of  your 
youth,  or  the  period  of  your  health  and  prosperity, 
when  age  or  infirmity,  or  the  approach  of  death  at 
any  period  may  induce  you  to  call  for  mercy,  the 
God  whom  you  have  so  long  neglected  may  reply 
to  you  only  with  the  stem  denunciations  of  his 
justice. 

I  beseech  you  to  weigh  these  considerations. 
Do  not  give  them  a  careless  hearing  ;  if  they  now 
affect  you,  do  not  let  the  feeling  which  they  produce 
pass  away  as  you  leave  this  house.  Let  them  often 
return  to  you  in  your  hours  of  solitude  and  re- 
flection. Let  some  portion  of  this  day  be  occupied 
with  a  solemn  communion  with  your  own  spirit. 
Consider  the  indispensable  duties  resting  on  you, 
and  may  that  God  whose  power  and  grace  are 
without  limit,  so  affect  your  hearts,  that  repenting 
and  being  turned  to  God,  your  sins  may  be  blotted 
out,  and  through  faith  you  may  become  fruitful 
branches  of  that  living  vine. 


396 


SERMON    XXXV. 


ON  HEARING  THE  WORD. 


LUKE  viii.  18. 

Take  heed  therefore  how  ye  hear. 

THESE  words  were  spoken  by  Him  who  inti- 
mately knowing  the  nature  of  men,  was  aware  of 
their  disposition  to  treat  with  levity  things  deserving 
their  serious  attention.  And  of  this  necessity,  we, 
who  minister  in  holy  things,  can  cherish  no  doubt. 
For  often  have  we  reason  to  exclaim,  "  who  hath 
believed  our  report,  and  to  whom  hath  the  arm  of 
the  Lord  been  revealed."  Although  the  message 
which  we  deliver  is  of  unequalled  importance  and 
solemnity ;  although  a  contempt  or  neglect  of  it  will 
be  productive  of  ruinous  consequences,  there  are 
few  who  bestow  upon  it  a  proper  regard  ;  there  are 
multitudes  who,  by  an  inattention  to  it,  are  increas- 


SER.  35.  HEARING  THE  WORD.  397 

ing  a  guilt  already  sufficiently  awful.  It  is  an 
affecting  thought,  that  the  means  of  life  thus  be- 
come the  occasion  of  death  ;  that  the  exhortations 
and  warnings  of  the  gospel  are  not  merely  uninflu- 
ential,  but  productive  of  serious  detriment  to  those 
to  whom  they  have  been  addressed.  My  object  on 
the  present  occasion  is,  so  far  as  is  possible,  to 
obviate  this  evil  by  calling  your  attention  to  the 
admonition  of  Jesus  Christ,  "  Take  heed,  therefore, 
how  ye  hear." 

This  address  appears  to  be  an  inference  from 
some  reasoning  or  fact  previously  under  view.  It 
will  then  be  proper  to  inquire  what  this  reasoning 
or  fact  was,  and  then  to  explain  and  enforce  the 
declaration  of  our  Lord. 

The  conclusion  expressed  in  the  text  is  derived 
from  a  parable  in  which  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  was  compared  to  the  sowing  of  seed  by  an 
husbandman.  As  the  effect  of  the  latter  would 
vary  according  to  the  quality  of  the  soil  upon  which 
it  fell,  so  the  gospel  would  impress  men  differently, 
according  to  the  different  dispositions  with  which 
they  received  it.  In  this  parable  we  have  repre- 
sented every  variety  of  character  which  exists 
among  the  hearers  of  the  word.  We  have  an 
accurate  description  of  them  all — from  those  upon 
whom  it  has  no  effect,  to  those  who  experience  its 
full  influence.  One  or  the  other  of  these  charac- 
teristics is  applicable  to  every  man  to  whom  the 


398  HEARING  THE  WORD.  SER.  35. 

message  of  God  has  ever  come.  A  view  of  the 
parable  will  show  the  propriety  of  the  caution 
which  is  grounded  upon  it.  "  Some  seed  fell  by 
the  wray  side,  and  was  trodden  down,  and  the  birds 
of  the  air  devoured  it." 

The  interpretation  of  this  is — "  the  seed  is  the 
word,  those  who  receive  it  by  the  way  side  are 
those  who  hear,  but  then  cometh  the  devil  and 
taketh  away  the  word  out  of  their  hearts  lest  they 
should  believe  and  be  saved." 

The  fact  here  referred  to  is  one  of  frequent  oc- 
currence. The  expositions  of  duty,  the  representa- 
tions of  danger,  the  admonitions  to  seek  salvation, 
which  are  addressed  to  men,  meet  the  ear  and 
perhaps  become  the  subject  of  a  little  thought,  but 
before  any  impression  is  made  upon  the  heart,  all 
concern  in  regard  to  them  is  dismissed.  The  care- 
less hearer  will  persuade  himself  that  there  is  no 
reality  in  the  things  which  are  urged  upon  his  atten- 
tion, or  at  all  events,  that  they  are  somewhat 
doubtful,  and  there  is  a  possibility  that  no  evil  may 
arise  from  a  neglect  of  them.  And  should  they 
possess  the  reality  and  importance  ascribed  to  them, 
it  may  be  thought  that  some  future  period  will  be 
sufficiently  early  to  attend  to  them.  Such  are  the 
vain  thoughts  which  fill  the  mind  of  men,  and  ren- 
der them  insensible  to  all  the  alarming  and  pathetic 
exhortations  which  can  be  addressed  to  them. 

Those  who  hear  the  word  but  never  comply  with 


• 

SER.  35.  HEARING  THE  WORD.  399 

its  requisitions,  are  compared  to  a  man  beholding 
his  face  in  a  glass,  for  he  beholdeth  himself  and 
goeth  his  way,  and  straightway  forgetteth  what 
manner  of  man  he  was.  How  apt  is  this  com- 
parison !  Through  the  instrumentality  of  the  writ- 
ten or  preached  gospel,  men  have  sometimes  a  vivid 
conception  of  their  character  and  of  the  end  to 
which  they  are  tending  ;  but  when  the  eye  is  turned 
aside,  or  when  the  voice  ceases  to  meet  the  ear,  all 
this  is  forgotten  ;  no  more  impression  being  left 
than  follows  an  attempt  to  fix  permanent  charac- 
ters upon  the  unstable  and  yielding  water. 

Some  seed,  also,  fell  upon  a  rock,  or  upon  stony 
ground,  and  as  soon  as  it  sprung  up,  it  withered 
away  because  it  lacked  moisture.  Such,  our  Lord 
tells  us,  are  those,  who,  when  they  hear,  receive 
the  word  with  joy,  but  having  no  root,  they  believe 
for  a  while  and  finally  fall  away.  These  hear  the 
word  with  joy  ;  they  feel  that  the  gospel  is  glad 
tidings  to  sinners  ;  they  "  a  while  believe,"  an  assent 
is  yielded  to  the  important  truths  wrhich  God  has 
revealed,  which  for  a  while  produces  a  certain 
degree  of  obedience  to  the  divine  will.  But  in 
time  of  temptation  they  fall  away  because  they 
have  no  root.  The  impressions  made  upon  their 
hearts  have  no  depth  or  firmness  ;  they  have  felt 
an  alarm  of  conscience,  but  have  not  experienced 
that  true  repentance  which  arises  from  a  conviction 
of  the  evil  of  sin  and  a  sense  of  the  goodness  of 


400  HEARING  THE  WORD.  SER.  35. 

God.  When,  therefore,  the  temporary  excitement 
which  produced  a  solicitude  with  regard  to  the 
divine  favor,  has  died  away,  it  is  to  be  expected 
that  they  will  fall  from  the  profession  which  they 
have  made.  Such  instances  have  come  under  our 
view.  Influenced  by  temporary  convictions,  men 
make  a  profession  of  religion,  and  a  hope  is  excited 
that  their  hearts  are  really  changed ;  but  when  the 
warmth  of  their  feelings  abates,  or  some  trial  is 
presented,  they  immediately  fall  away.  The  word 
has  not  been  sown  sufficiently  deep  in  their  hearts. 
The  affections,  which  have  been  excited,  are  not 
of  a  permanent  character  ;  and  the  subjects  of  them, 
so  far  as  any  ultimate  benefit  is  concerned,  are 
unfruitful  hearers  of  the  word  of  life. 

"  Other  seed  fell  among  thorns,  and  the  thorns 
grew  up  and  choked  it."  These  are  they,  who, 
wThen  they  have  heard,  go  forth  and  are  choked 
with  the  cares,  and  riches,  and  pleasures  of  the 
world,  and  bring  forth  no  fruit  to  perfection. 

In  some  degree  impressed  with  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  the  individuals  in  question  do  not  alto- 
gether neglect  the  duties  which  it  inculcates,  but 
the  attention  paid  to  them  is  entirely  insufficient. 
For  the  work  of  our  salvation  is  of  such  magnitude 
that  it  requires  all  the  energies  of  our  souls  to  be 
engaged  in  it.  Any  thing,  therefore,  which  dis- 
tracts our  minds  and  prevents  our  paying  an  undi- 
vided attention  to  this  great  object,  will  have  a 


SER.  35.  HEARING  THE  WORD.  401 

pernicious  influence  upon  our  religious  character. 
Of  this  nature  are  the  cares,  riches,  and  pleasures 
of  this  world.  How  often  has  a  concern  for  the 
happiness  of  the  soul  been  banished  by  some  trifling 
earthly  anxiety  !  How  does  the  possession  of  the 
riches  and  the  enjoyment  of  the  pleasures  of  this 
world,  soothe  the  soul  into  a  deadly  repose,  and 
suppress  those  thoughts  concerning  our  future  state 
which  should  always  be  cherished,  because  they 
manifest  the  vanity  of  all  things  besides. 

Those  then  whose  religious  impressions  are  grad- 
ually weakened  and  finally  destroyed  by  the  tumult 
of  temporal  business  or  the  agitation  of  worldly 
pleasure,  are  also  deprived  of  any  lasting  benefit 
from  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  "  Some  seed," 
continues  our  heavenly  Teacher,  "  fell  upon  good 
ground,  and  sprung  up  and  bore  fruit  an  hundred 
fold."  These  are  they  who,  receiving  the  word  in 
an  honest  and  good  heart,  keep  it  and  bring  forth 
fruit  with  patience.  Upon  these  the  gospel  has  a 
blessed  influence.  Receiving  it  as  the  word  of  God, 
they  are  by  it  convinced  of  guilt  and  misery,  but 
they  have  also  revealed  the  fountain  opened  for  sin 
and  uncleanness.  Genuine  repentance  and  lively 
faith  are  thus  produced,  and  a  joyous  hope  springs 
up  in  the  soul.  They  will  be  fruitful  in  pious  affec- 
tions and  holy  actions — and  they  will  yield  this  fruit 
with  patience.  They  will  persevere  to  the  end,  for 
they  are  born  of  the  word  of  God,  which  liveth  and 
51 


402  HEARING  THE  WORD.  SER.  35. 

abideth  forever.  From  the  representation  of  the 
different  classes  into  which  the  hearers  of  the  gospel 
may  be  distributed,  the  inference  was  deduced — 
"  Take  heed  therefore  how  ye  hear." 

The  fact  that  so  small  a  proportion  of  the  hearers 
of  the  gospel,  derive  any  lasting  benefit,  deserves 
attention.  For  it  shows  that  in  the  way  of  re- 
ceiving religious  improvement  there  are  serious 
impediments.  And  from  the  existence  of  these 
obstacles,  we  infer  the  necessity  of  "  taking  heed 
how  we  hear."  We  have  the  important  privilege  of 
hearing  that  word  of  God  which  instructs  in  duty 
and  directs  us  in  the  way  of  happiness.  But  since 
there  are  many  who  perish  notwithstanding  all 
their  religious  advantages,  we  should  with  serious- 
ness inquire  how  we  may  so  attend  on  the  ministry 
of  the  gospel  as  to  save  our  souls.  In  entering 
therefore  the  house  of  worship,  there  are  several 
reflections  with  which  our  minds  should  be  deeply 
impressed. 

1.  We  should  then  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  God, 
who  in  his  word,  and  by  the  instrumentality  of  his 
ministry,  addresses  us.  If  God  be  our  Creator — if 
we  are  in  the  most  entire  and  absolute  manner  at 
his  disposal — and  if  the  perfections  of  his  nature  are 
infinite,  then  most  certainly  he  should  be  regarded 
by  us  with  the  highest  adoration  ;  and  when  he 
speaks  to  us,  we  cannot  yield  an  attention  too 
exclusive. 


SER.  35.  HEARING  THE  WORD.  403 

Were  the  vail  drawn  from  before  us,  and  could 
we  have  a  glimpse  of  the  majesty  of  God,  and  hear 
a  voice  as  from  heaven  addressing  us,  how  would 
our  attention  be  aroused !  how  would  we  stand  in 
breathless  expectation  !  When  in  ancient  days  the 
Almighty  upon  certain  occasions,  caused  some  man- 
ifestation of  his  glory  to  pass  before  his  servants ; 
how  profound  was  the  reverence,  and  extreme  the 
terror  which  they  experienced.  And  the  message 
which  they  heard,  how  deeply  was  it  fixed  in  their 
memory  and  on  their  heart. 

But  as  certainly  as  God  then  manifested  himself, 
so  certainly  does  he  now  surround  us,  although  we 
see  him  not — as  certainly  as  he  then  spake  to  men, 
so  surely  does  he  now  address  those  who  hear  or 
read  his  word.  This  will  in  words  be  admitted  by 
many  who  have  no  strong  impression  of  its  certainty. 

But  without  this  impression,  we  are  not  in  a  suit- 
able condition  to  hear  the  gospel  message.  We 
should  feel  that  God  is  around  us  and  speaks  to  us. 

2.  We  should  also  be  deeply  affected  with  our 
condition  as  guilty  and  perishing  creatures. 

Our  existence  here  is  short  and  uncertain.  We 
look  backward,  and  the  years  are  few  since  we 
began  to  be ;  forward,  and  a  very  limited  prospect 
presents  itself,  ere  a  darkness  intervene,  into  which 
no  mortal  eye  can  penetrate.  But  revelation  gives 
us  information  that  beyond  this  gloom  there  is 
another  state  of  existence  in  which  we  shall  dwell 


404  HEARING  THE  WORD.  SER.  35. 

forever.  And  in  that  state  how  wide  a  distinction 
will  be  drawn  between  the  creatures  of  God.  To 
the  one  class  happiness  will  be  allotted;  to  the  other 
deep  W7retchedness.  To  the  land  of  despair,  and 
darkness,  and  sorrow,  we  are  all  by  nature  tending. 
But  there  is  a  path  presented  which  will  lead  to  a 
happy  immortality  and  the  endless  favor  of  God. 
The  way  of  salvation  is  clearly  marked  out  in  holy 
writ,  and  is  the  subject  of  the  addresses  which  we 
from  time  to  time  make  to  you. 

As  then  in  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  the  Al- 
mighty speaks  to  you,  and  speaks  in  a  manner  the 
most  interesting  to  a  guilty  creature,  it  is  important 
that  you  should  hear  in  a  proper  manner. 

And  in  the  first  place,  the  gospel  should  be  heard 
with  close  attention.  Without  a  proper  engagement 
of  mind,  no  benefit  will  be  derived  from  any  discus- 
sion upon  any  subject.  When  the  attention  is 
frequently  drawn  off  to  other  matters,  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel  must  be  uninfluential ;  for  the  motives 
presented  never  become  the  subject  of  serious 
thought.  And  yet  such  is  the  fact  with  regard  to 
many  who  hear  the  word  of  God.  They  are 
present  in  the  sanctuary,  but  their  minds  are  wan- 
dering to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Frivolous  thoughts 
occupy  their  attention — while  the  all  important 
truths  which  are  proclaimed  make  no  impression 
upon  them.  Men  are  not  thus  inattentive  when 
instructions  are  given  on  any  subject  connected  with 


SER.  35.  HEARING  THE  WORD.  405 

their  temporal  welfare.  No  one  imagines  that  the 
knowledge  of  any  science  or  art  can  be  obtained  by 
bestowing  upon  it  a  few  transient  thoughts.  And 
is  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  our  duty,  with  the 
ability  to  secure  our  everlasting  welfare,  more  easily 
acquired  than  the  most  common  mechanical  art  ? 
Surely  not ! 

The  importance  of  closely  attending  to  the  re- 
ligious instructions  which  we  receive,  is  therefore 
very  evident.  We  should  direct  the  whole  force  of 
our  understanding  to  the  comprehension  of  the 
truths  which  are  brought  under  view — the  attention 
with  which  they  are  heard  should  be  unbroken — so 
that  wre  may  contemplate  them  in  every  connection 
in  which  they  are  presented.  But,  not  only  should 
the  gospel  be  heard  with  attention,  it  is  also  neces- 
sary that  we  should  on  such  occasions  experience 
the  greatest  solemnity.  This  would  naturally  flow 
from  the  apprehension  that  God  speaks  to  us,  and 
that  the  subjects  to  which  our  thoughts  are  directed 
are  of  awful  importance.  Nothing  can  be  more 
unbecoming  in  itself,  nor  more  fatal  in  its  conse- 
quences, than  the  levity  and  unconcern  with  which 
some  attend  on  the  ministry  of  the  gospel.  The 
word  of  God  treats  of  subjects  of  the  highest  interest 
and  importance  to  man.  Eternity  with  all  its  con- 
comitants, death,  judgment,  heaven,  and  hell,  are 
the  things  of  which  it  treats.  The  nature  and  per- 
fections of  the  Almighty — the  character  and  work 


406  HEARING  THE  WORD.  SER.  35. 

of  Christ  the  Redeemer — the  universal  range  of 
human  duty,  are  also  comprised  in  our  teaching. 
And  should  not  these  great  and  dreadful  topics 
arrest  our  attention,  and  fill  our  minds  with  solem- 
nity. Is  it  natural  or  proper  that  such  discussions 
should  be  heard  with  levity  and  unconcern,  even 
were  you  doubtful  of  the  correctness  of  the  opinions 
advanced  ? 

The  conduct  which  has  now  been  recommended 
will  certainly  be  adopted,  if  you  comply  with  the 
third  direction  which  I  shall  offer  on  the  subject  of 
hearing  the  word  of  God. 

3.  "Hear  the  gospel  with  a  firm  persuasion  of 
your  personal  interest  in  the  truths  which  it  dis- 
closes." When  the  dreadful  doom  of  the  wicked  is 
pronounced,  remember  that  while  separated  from 
Christ  this  is  your  own  doom.  When  the  way  of 
salvation  is  pointed  out,  and  exhortations  given  to 
enter  upon  it,  believe  that  they  are  addressed  by 
the  Almighty  to  you  in  particular.  You  should  not 
imagine  that  they  concern  others  and  not  your- 
selves, for  as  surely  as  you  live,  so  certainly  are  you 
sinners — so  certainly  must  you  return  to  dust,  and 
at  the  last  day  stand  at  the  right  or  left  hand  of 
your  Judge. 

Let  me  then  give  as  a  last  and  most  important 
direction,  that  you  "  hear  the  gospel  with  a  reso- 
lution to  improve  this  privilege  in  order  to  your 
salvation."  Let  not  the  good  seed  be  snatched 


SER.  35.  HEARING  THE  WORD.  407 

away  which  has  been  sown  in  your  hearts.  Be  not 
persuaded  that  religion  is  unworthy  of  your  regard. 
And  above  all,  guard  against  the  dangerous  delusion 
that  you  may  yet  enjoy  many  sinful  pleasures  and 
then  be  reconciled  to  God.  For  to-day,  if  ye  will 
hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,  is  the  divine 
command. 

"  To-day  attend,  is  wisdom's  voice, 
To-morrow,  folly  cries  ; 
And  still  to-morrow  'tis,  when,  oh  ! 
To-day  the  sinner  dies." 

Since,  then,  for  us  no  to-morrow  may  ever  arise, 
let  us  yield  a  present  obedience  to  the  divine  com- 
mand, let  us  seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found, 
and  call  upon  him  while  he  is  near. 

I  would  observe,  in  concluding  the  whole  subject, 
that  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  never  leaves  us  in 
the  situation  in  which  it  found  us.  It  always  brings 
us  nearer  to  God,  or  removes  us  further  from  him. 
I  do  not  now  refer  to  the  tendency  which  the 
gospel  has  to  harden  where  it  does  not  melt  the 
heart,  though  this  is  a  solemn  thought.  I  speak  of 
the  greater  condemnation  which  will  be  our  portion, 
if  we  are  found  to  be  unfruitful  hearers  of  the  word. 
Every  time  the  gospel  is  heard  and  a  compliance 
with  its  call  refused,  a  fresh  act  of  disobedience  is 
added  to  the  catalogue  of  our  crimes — an  act  deeply 
criminal,  for  it  despises  the  greatest  goodness. 


408  HEARING  THE  WORD.  SER.  35. 

Take  heed,  therefore,  how  ye  hear  ;  do  it  with 
serious  meditation,  and  pray  to  God  to  impress  it 
upon  your  hearts  ;  and  may  you  through  his  grace 
become  the  diligent  doers,  and  not  the  forgetful 
hearers  of  his  word  ;  so  that  receiving  it  in  an 
honest  and  good  heart,  ye  may  bring  forth  fruit  to 
the  glory  of  God. 


CONSIDERATIONS 


RESPECTING  THE 


GENUINENESS 
OF   THE   PENTATEUCH, 

WITH   SPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO  A  PAMPHLET  ENTITLED 
«  THE  CONNEXION  BETWEEN 

GEOLOGY  AND  THE  PENTATEUCH: 

BY  THOMAS  COOPER,  M.  D.  » 


..*" 


^1 


NOTE    BY    THE    EDITOR. 


THE  following  Essay  was  occasioned  by  a  pamphlet 
written  by  Dr.  Cooper,  and  addressed  to  Prof.  Silliman  of 
Yale  college.  Mr.  Means's  reply  was  first  published  in  the 
columns  of  the  "  Southern  Christian  Herald,"  and  then  in  a 
more  permanent  form  at  Columbia,  in  1834. 

The  controversy  respecting  the  composition  of  the  Penta- 
teuch, although  it  had  never  before  been  waged  in  this  country, 
is  by  no  means  of  recent  origin.  Aben-Ezra,  the  celebrated 
Jewish  critic  of  the  12th  century,  had  pointed  out  certain 
passages  as  written  by  a  later  hand  than  Moses,  but  without 
thinking  in  the  least  to  impugn  the  authority  of  the  Penta- 
teuch as  the  genuine  production  of  that  Jewish  Lawgiver, 
nor  indeed  of  any  portion  of  it  as  a  writing  of  inspiration. 

Spinoza,  a  learned  but  skeptical  Jew,  in  his  Tractat. 
Theol.  Polit.  Hamburg,  1670,  was  the  first  who  contended 
against  the  Mosaic  origin  of  the  Pentateuch.  He  maintained 
that  it  was  composed  by  Ezra  ;  and  the  same  opinion  was 
expressed  by  Anthony  Van  Dale,  in  his  dissertation  De 
Origine  et  Progressu  Idololatriae  Amstelod.  1696.  Isaac 
Peyrere,  1655,  author  of  the  theory  of  the  Praeadamites, 
believed  that  the  Pentateuch  was  compiled  from  journals 
left  by  Moses,  and  from  documents  existing  before  him. 
That  "  the  Book  of  the  Wars  of  the  Lord  "  was  the  first 
compilation,  and  furnished  the  foundation  of  the  book  of 


414  NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. 

Numbers  ;  and  that  Deuteronomy  was  not  composed  until 
after  the  times  of  David.  Andrew  Masius1  supposed  that  the 
particular  parts  of  the  Pentateuch  were  first  brought  together 
by  Ezra,  or  some  other  inspired  writer  later  than  Moses. 
Thomas  Hobbes,  the  English  deist,  contends  against  the 
Mosaic  origin,  in  his  Leviathan,  London,  1651.  Richard 
Simon,  in  1678,  advanced  the  opinion  that  the  substance  of 
the  Pentateuch  was  derived  from  Moses,  but  that  the  com- 
position of  the  work  as  a  whole,  was  committed  to  some 
scribe  or  prophet.2  Le  Clerc  conjectured  that  the  Penta- 
teuch was  the  work  of  the  Samaritan  priest,  sent  from 
Babylon  to  Palestine,  to  instruct  in  the  Mosaic  religion  the 
colonists  who  had  been  settled  there.3  See  2  Kings  xvii. 
27.  seq.  Le  Clerc  lived  to  retract  this  opinion.  Fulda 
maintained  that  some  parts  were  derived  from  Moses,  but 
that  the  whole  was  first  reduced  to  order  in  the  times  of 
David.  Nachtigal,  that  the  five  books  were  compiled  from 
many  old  collections  during  the  exile,  perhaps  by  Jeremiah.4 
Staudlin,5  that  much  of  the  Pentateuch  is  later  than  the  days 
of  the  Jewish  Legislator ;  that  the  book  has  either  been 
composed  at  a  later  period,  or  has  been  greatly  interpolated 
by  a  later  hand.  Bauer,  that  the  Pentateuch  cannot  be  older 
than  David.6  Vater,  that  Deuteronomy  is  later  than  David, 
and  that  the  whole  was  not  brought  into  its  present  form  until 
the  time  of  Ezra.7  De  Wette  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  five 
books  of  Moses  were  composed  substantially,  some  time 
between  the  reign  of  David,  and  the  Babylonish  captivity  ; 
but  received  their  present  form  after  the  Exile.8  Augusti 

1  In  his  Commentary  on  Joshua  xix.  47.  2  See  his  Histoire  Critique 
du  Vieux  Testament,  Rotterdam,  1685.  3  Le  Clerc  Sentimens  de  quel- 
ques  Theologiens  de  Hollande,  &c.  Amsterd.  1681.  4  Neue  Versuch,  &c. 
Helmstadt,  1796.  6  Geschichte  der  christliche  Sittenlehre,  Gcetingen,  1799. 
6  Entwurf  einer  hist,  kritisch.  Einleit.  in  die  Schrift.  d.  Alt.  Test.  Nilrnberg, 
1806.  7  Abhandlung  ttber  Mose  und  die  Verfasser  d.  Pent.  Halle,  1805. 
»  Beitragen  zur  Einleit.  in  das  Alt.  Test.  Halle,  1806, 1807. 


NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR*  415 

agrees  substantially  with  De  Wette.1  Hartmann  supposes 
that  all  excepting  the  registers  of  names,  and  of  the  encamp- 
ments of  the  Israelites,  and  the  ten  commandments,  were 
composed  between  the  reign  of  David  and  the  Exile.2 
Bertholdt,  that  the  Pentateuch  was  written  between  the 
accession  of  Saul,  and  the  close  of  Solomon's  reign.3  Herbst 
of  Tubingen,  believes  the  materials  genuine,  but  supposes 
them  to  have  been  first  brought  together  by  Ezra  and  the 
one  hundred  and  twenty  elders  who  composed  the  Great 
Synagogue.4  Gesenius,  that  Genesis,  Exodus,  and  Numbers, 
contain  many  portions  which  belong  in  the  days  of  the 
prophets,  but  that  Deuteronomy  was  composed  after  the 
captivity.5  Pustkuchen,6  Hoffman,  of  Jena,7  and  Bleek, 
of  Berlin,8  follow,  on  the  same  side. 

On  the  other,  and  in  favor  of  the  genuineness  of  the 
Pentateuch  as  a  writing  of  Moses,  are  found  Mans  veldt,9 
Kuper,10  Daniel  Huet,11  Le  Clerc  in  his  later  and  maturer 
writings,12  Bolville,13  Herman  Witsius14  in  his  Miscellanea 
Sacra,  John  Dav.  Michaelis  in  his  Einleit.  in  Schrift.  des  A. 
Bundes,15  Jerusalem  in  his  Letters  on  the  Mosaic  Writings,16 
the  celebrated  Eichorn,17  Eckermann, 18  Jahn,19  Kelle,20 

1  Grundriss  einer  hist.  krit.  Einleit.  in's  alt.  Test.  Leipzig,  1806.  2  Lin- 
guist. Einleit.  u.  s.  w.  Bremen,  1818,  and  Hist.  krit.  Forschungen  ueber  d. 
ftlnf  BQcher  Mose's,  Rostock,  1831.  3  Hist.  krit.  Einleit.  Erlangen, 
1813.  4  Observatt.  quaedam  de  Pent,  quatuor  libr.  poster,  auctore  et 
editore  in  the  Coramentationes  Theologicse,  Lips.  1825.  5  Geschicht.  der 
Heb.  Sprache  und  Schrift,  Leipz.  1817,  also  Commentatio  de  Pent.  Samar. 
Halae,  1815.  6  Urgeschichte  der  Menscheit,  Lemgo,  1821.  7  In  a  peri- 
odical at  Leipzic,  1822.  8  In  Rosenmueler's  Repertorium,  Leipzig,  1822. 
9  Regneri  a  Mansvelt  adv.  Theologo-Politicum,  Amstel.  1674.  10  Arcana 
Atheismi,  Rotterdam,  1676.  "  Demonstratio  Evangelica,  Lips.  1703. 
12  Dissertat.  III.  de  Scriptore  Pentateuchi  Mose,  prefixed  to  his  Comm.  Am- 
stelod.  1696.  13  Reponse  au  Livre  intit.  Sentimens,  &c.,  Rotterdam, 
1686.  14  Miscellanea  Sacra,  Lugdun.  Batav.  1736.  15  Hamburg,  1787. 
16  Braunschweig,  1783.  17  Versuch  einer  Beleuchtung  d.  Geschichte 
des  Ittd.  und  Christ.  Bibelkanon's,  Halle,  1792.  18  Theol.  Beitragen, 


416  NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. 

Fritzsche,1  Kanne,2  Griesinger,3  Scheibel  of  Breslau,4 
E.  F.  C.  Rosenmueler,5  De  Luc,6  Krummacher,7  Hagel,8 
Pfister;9  Pastoret10  and  Salvador11  in  France;  and  Graves,12 
Home,13  and  Marsh,14  in  England ;  and  Schacht,15  Woer- 
man,16  Pareau,17  and  Muntinghe,18  in  Holland. 

In  addition  to  these,  the  whole  body  of  theologians  of  all 
countries,  have  been  convinced  that  the  Pentateuch  is  none 
other  than  the  genuine  production  of  the  Jewish  Legislator ; 
and  that  the  fact  is  as  clearly  proved  by  tradition,  as  we 
have  any  right  to  expect  in  relation  to  a  book  of  such  high 
antiquity. 

Those  who  have  impugned  the  genuineness  of  the  Penta- 
teuch, have  been  men  whose  theories  have  predisposed  them 
to  overlook  the  evidence  in  its  favor.  A  large  portion  of 
these  have  been  infidels,  as  Spinoza,  Volney,  Voltaire, 
Hobbes,  the  author  of  the  Wolfenbiittel  Fragments,  and 
others.  The  rest  have  mostly  been  men  who  with  Gesenius, 
Berthold,  and  De  Wette,  have  no  belief  in  the  Scriptures  as 
a  book  penned  by  Inspiration.  Every  person  acquainted 
with  the  Rationalist  divines  of  Germany,  knows  full  well  their 

Altona,  1796.  19  Jahn's  Einleitung,  Vienna,  1803.  Translated  by  Prof. 
Turner  of  New  York.  *°  In  a  work  published  at  Freyburg,  1811, 1812. 

1  PrUfung  der  GrUnde  mit  welchen  die  ^Echtheit  der  BQcher  Mose's 
bestritten  worden  ist,  Leipz.  1814.  2  Biblische  Untersuchungen,  Erlangen, 
1819.  3  Ueber  den  Pentateuch.  Stuttgard,  1806.  4  Untersuchungen 
ueber  Bibel,  Breslau,  1816.  6  In  the  third  edition  of  his  Commentaries, 
Leipzig,  1821.  6  Grundsaetze  der  Theologies,  Theodicee,  und  Moral. 
7  Paragraphen  zu  der  heiligen  Geschichte,  Berlin,  1818.  8  Apologie  des 
Moses,  Sulzbach,  1828.  9  Gedanken  und  Betrachtungen  ueber  die  ftinf 
Bacher  Mosis,  1826.  10  Histoire  de  la  Legislation,  Paris,  1822.  "  Loi 
de  Molse,  Paris,  1822.  12  Lectures  on  the  Pentateuch,  London,  1808. 
13  Introduction,  &c.  w  Authenticity  of  the  five  books  of  Moses  vindi- 
cated. 15  Animadversiones  ad  Antiq.  Heb.  Traj.  ad  Rhen.  1810.  ie  Com- 
mentatio  de  libr.  Vet.  Foed.  prsestantia  Traj.  ad  Rhen.  1821.  17  Commen- 
tatio  de  iramortalitatis,  ac  vitae  futurae  notitiis,  Daventriae,  1807.  Also 
Instit.  Interp.  Traj.  ad  Rhen.  1822.  18  Brevis  expositio  critices  Vet.  Fce- 
deris,  Groningae,  1827. 


NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR.  417 

prepossessions  against  any  thing  supernatural  in  the  sacred 
writings;  their  industry  in  detecting  expressions  which  inge- 
nuity may  turn  into  evidences  of  a  more  recent  origin  of 
these  writings  than  is  compatible  with  their  high  authority  as 
inspired  documents  ;  their  attempts  to  explain  away  whatever 
is  miraculous,  and  their  credulity  in  relation  to  whatever  will 
make  for  their  theories  ;  and  their  incredulity  in  respect  to 
any  facts  or  items  of  evidence  which  may  be  adverse.  The 
charge  of  credulity,  which  is  ever  uppermost  in  the  attacks  of 
skepticism  against  the  believers  in  revelation,  may  well  be 
turned  upon  the  skeptic  himself.  He  truly  fulfils  the 
inspired  description  of  the  Pharisee.  He  strains  out  a  gnat, 
and  swallows  a  camel. 

That  the  friends  of  the  Scriptures  have  sometimes  been 
chargeable  with  credulity,  there  can  be  little  doubt.  Equally 
certain  is  it  that  unsound  arguments  have  sometimes  been 
plead  in  their  defence.  But,  to  charge  us  all  with  credulity; 
to  set  aside  the  arguments,  and  impeach  the  motives  of  the 
clergy,  with  the  old  and  little  insinuation  that  we  are  "  the 
paid  and  hired  defenders"  of  religion  ;  that  we  preach  the 
gospel  and  write  in  its  defence,  because  thus  we  obtain  our 
support  ;  is,  to  say  no  more,  unworthy  of  a  magnanimous 
enemy.  If  indeed  we  did  sell  our  services  for  the  remune- 
ration we  obtain  as  ministers  of  the  gospel,  we  should  be  the 
meanest  and  most  contemptible  of  the  creatures  of  God. 
We  know  ourselves  and  the  men  of  other  professions  better 
than  to  do  otherwise  than  despise  the  insinuation  which  is  so 
often  made  against  us.  We  have  studied  with  them  side  by 
side  in  our  boyhood,  and  with  them  were  trained  in  the  same 
pursuits,  up  to  the  time  of  our  graduation  at  college.  We 
know  the  guage  of  their  powers,  and  are  not  afraid  to  com- 
pare the  educated  clergy  of  our  country  with  them,  nor  to 
have  that  clergy  meet  them  on  any  field  of  trial  which  it  is 
53 


418  NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. 

proper  for  us  mutually  to  occupy.  The  day  was  when  the 
several  professions  were  all  open  to  us,  and  when  we  might 
have  entered  those  which  are  secular,  and  have  stood  side  by 
side  with  the  companions  of  our  early  studies.  We  knew 
that  if  we  devoted  ourselves  to  the  church,  the  same  pros- 
pects were  not  before  us  ;  and  yet  we  have  yielded  to  the 
convictions  of  duty,  and  are  preachers  of  the  gospel.  But 
we  scorn  the  imputation  that  we  are  pledged,  by  any  exterior 
necessity,  to  the  opinions  we  proclaim,  or  that  our  minds  are 
so  biased  that  we  cannot  see  the  truth ;  or  that  we  are  so 
fettered  by  the  fear  of  man,  that  we  dare  not  publish  it  to  the 
world.  What  we  preach  we  believe.  It  will  not  be  said  of 
Mr.  Means,  we  are  sure,  that  he  defended  the  Scriptures, 
and  preached  the  gospel,  from  any  other  than  an  honest  and 
intelligent  conviction  of  duty. 

The  divines  who  have  been  mentioned  as  defending  the 
genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch,  were  certainly,  as  every  one 
must  perceive  in  relation  to  most  of  them,  under  no  bias  of 
any  kind,  which  could  induce  them  to  arrange  themselves  on 
that  side  of  the  argument.  The  greater  portion  of  them 
lived  in  a  country  in  which  it  has  been  more  popular  to 
oppose  than  to  defend  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures. 
Such  are  Eichorn,  Michaelis,  Eckermann,  Fritzsche,  Rosen- 
mueler  and  others.  Some  who  assumed  the  other  side  of 
the  controversy,  have  become  persuaded  of  their  error,  as 
they  advanced  in  their  inquiries.  Le  Clerc,  as  we  have 
seen,  after  appearing  as  an  impugner  of  the  Mosaic  origin, 
candidly  retracted  his  error,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
appeared  on  the  opposite  side.  Nachtigal  also  became  less 
confident,  and  in  a  great  measure  took  back  the  theory  which 
he  had  advocated  ;  and  Richard  Simon  so  explained  his 
views  that  they  were  rendered  compatible  with  the  plenary 
inspiration  of  the  writings  in  controversy.  Hasse  first  denied 


NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR.  419 

to  the  book  of  Genesis  a  higher  antiquity  than  the  latter  part 
of  the  Babylonish  exile  ;  but,  twenty  years  after,  he  ascribes 
the  five  books  to  one  and  the  same  hand.  He  says,  "  It 
cannot  be  doubted  that  the  purity  of  language,  the  elegance 
of  style,  and  the  poetic  imagery  discoverable  in  Genesis, 
betray  the  hand  of  Moses,  and  that  the  age  of  David  pre- 
supposes the  existence  of  the  Mosaic  writings." 

A  similar  process  is  observable  in  the  mental  history  of 
E.  F.  C.  Rosenmueler.  He  first  declared  himself  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch,  but  in  the  later 
editions  of  his  Commentary,  appears  as  its  staunch  defender. 
Surely  the  cause  which  is  so  often  deserted  by  its  advocates 
cannot  be  so  indubitably  certain  as  the  foes  of  evangelical 
religion  would  have  us  believe.  Anthony  Theodore  Hart- 
mann,*  the  last  author  on  this  subject  whose  writings  have 
reached  us  from  beyond  the  water,  and  who  stands  com- 
mitted against  the  Mosaic  origin,  acknowledges  in  respect  to 
the  controversy  in  Germany,  that  it  has  come  down  to  our 
day  without  any  decisive  victory  being  gained  by  either 
party.  It  appears  to  us,  that  any  one  who  examines  this 
subject  thoroughly  and  candidly,  must  come  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  the  theological  tendencies  alone  of  the  Neo- 
logical  divines,  their  love  of  novelty  and  originality,  their 
tendency  to  swing  loose  from  every  thing  ancient,  have  been 
the  real  reasons  which  have  prevented  them  from  receiving 
the  Pentateuch  as  substantially  the  writing  of  Moses.  After 
the  fullest  examination,  we  are  constrained  to  accede  to  the 
conclusion  of  the  celebrated  critic  Michaelis,  who  thus  ex- 
presses himself  in  his  Einleitung  in  Schrift.  des  Altes  Bundes, 
Hamburg,  1787.  "That  Moses  is  the  author  of  the  five 

*  To  whom  the  editor  acknowledges  his  obligations  for  most  of  the 
authorities  quoted  in  this  note. 


420  NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. 

books  which  are  usually  called  his,  is  the  common  opinion  of 
Christians  and  Jews,  and  I  regard  it  not  only  as  perfectly 
correct,  but  as  certain  as  any  thing  which  can  be  known 
respecting  the  composition  of  any  ancient  book."  Professor 
Pareau  of  Utrecht,  also,  in  his  Disputatio  de  mythica  sacri 
codicis  interpretatione,  Traj.  ad  Rhen.  1824,  says,  "that  the 
Pentateuch  in  its  present  form,  must  be  ascribed  to  Moses 
alone." 


PREFACE. 


THE  dissertation  presented  to  the  reader,  in  the  following  pages, 
originally  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  "  SOUTHERN  CHRISTIAN 
HERALD."  The  writer  did  not  enter  the  field  of  controversy  unpro- 
voked, nor  without  manifest  necessity.  A  point  of  great  importance, 
in  relation  to  the  authority  of  revealed  religion,  had  been  assailed,  in 
a  spirit  of  uncompromising  hostility,  with  a  startling  array  of  ar- 
guments and  objections,  and  by  an  individual  long  accustomed  to 
dictate  to  the  public  mind,  upon  all  subjects,  even  upon  those  most 
beyond  his  appropriate  sphere. 

The  attack  was,  moreover,  accompanied  by  a  haughty  defiance. 
It  was  repeatedly,  and  without  qualification,  stated,  that  no  honest 
and  intelligent  man,  acquainted  with  the  merits  of  the  question, 
would  dare  to  maintain  the  genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch.  Under 
the  circumstances  of  the  case,  then,  the  necessity  of  replying  to  the 
attack  made,  was  commanding.  The  failure  to  do  so,  would  be 
regarded  as  an  abandonment  of  the  point  at  issue. 

To  the  argument  now  submitted,  the  writer  would  most  earnestly 
solicit  the  attention  of  the  public.  Whatever  may  have  been  their 
sentiments  hitherto,  in  relation  to  the  matter  discussed,  he  hopes  to 
obtain  from  his  readers  a  candid  and  patient  examination  of  his 
arguments.  To  those  whose  minds  have  not  yet  been  satisfied,  with 
respect  to  the  claims  advanced  by  the  religious  system  exhibited  in 
the  Jewish  and  Christian  Scriptures,  he  would  respectfully  suggest — 
that  the  inquiry  prosecuted  in  the  following  sheets,  cannot  be  un- 


422  PREFACE. 

interesting  to  the  general  scholar ;  and  that  in  a  religious  aspect,  it 
must  be  of  the  highest  importance,  when  the  possibility  only  is  ad- 
mitted— that  our  conclusions  are  just — that  the  obligations  of  religion 
are  founded  in  truth,  imperative  in  their  character,  and  not  to  be 
neglected  without  incurring  fearful  guilt. 

Nor  are  the  considerations  proposed  on  the  present  occasion, 
alone  intended  to  satisfy  the  minds  of  unbelievers ;  they  are  designed 
to  enable  Christians,  speculative  or  practical,  to  furnish  reasons  for 
the  belief  which  they  cherish.  No  one,  then,  professing  a  submis- 
sion to  the  claims  of  revelation,  who  is  not  well  instructed  respecting 
the  evidence  by  which  it  is  supported,  should  deem  an  attention  to 
the  following  argument,  hi  his  instance  unnecessary.  It  were  a 
discreditable  thing  for  him  to  receive  opinions,  with  the  reasons  of 
which  he  is  unacquainted.  And  were  he  even  content  to  rest  in  this 
blind  and  irrational  conviction,  religion  is  in  perpetual  danger  of 
being  dishonored  and  injured,  through  his  inability  to  meet  the 
objections  with  which  it  is  at  all  times  assailed. 

The  writer  has  no  more  to  add,  but  that  the  publication,  in  a  more 
permanent  form,  of  what  was  originally  offered  to  the  community 
in  the  fugitive  character  of  newspaper  essays,  has  been  induced  by 
the  hope  of  giving  a  wider  circulation  to  what,  it  is  thought  may 
be  useful,  and  the  wish  to  furnish  to  those  interested  in  the  subject, 
a  condensed,  yet  comprehensive  view  of  the  whole  controversy 
respecting  the  genuineness  of  the  writings  ascribed  to  the  Jewish 
lawgiver. 

Fairfield  District,  £  C.,  1834. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


SECTION    I . 

INTRODUCTION. 

Ax  the  present  period,  a  special  call  seems  to  be 
made  upon  the  defenders  of  revealed  religion  to 
sustain  the  credibility  of  some  of  its  most  important 
records.  No  very  long  interval  of  time  has  elapsed 
since  the  publication  of  a  tract  entitled  "  The 
Connexion  between  Geology  and  the  Pentateuch," 
which  is  intended  to  unsettle  the  popular  belief  in 
the  divine  origin  of  the  Jewish,  and  by  consequence 
of  the  Christian  revelation  also.  Proceeding  from 
an  individual,  who  possesses  so  many  real  and 
adventitious  sources  of  influence,  this  production  is 
not  to  be  disregarded,  whatever  may  be  the  judg- 
ment which  we  may  be  called  to  pronounce  upon 
its  intrinsic  merits.  The  author  occupies  a  high 
literary  station  in  this  community,  and  with  a  great 


424  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

and  extended  reputation  actually  possesses  an  erudi- 
tion exceedingly  various,  if  not  the  most  profound. 

The  style,  moreover,  of  the  essay  in  question,  is 
such  as  to  make  a  strong  impression  upon  the 
unthinking,  the  uninformed,  and  those  whose  minds 
are  already  biased  towards  the  conclusions  which  it 
is  designed  to  establish.  With  a  show  of  logical 
precision  and  an  affectation  of  considerable  candor, 
there  are  joined  much  confident  assertion,  and  many 
unwarrantable  assumptions  both  of  facts  and  prin- 
ciples. The  author  has  also  brought  within  a 
narrow  compass,  and  exhibited  in  a  popular  manner, 
all  the  difficulties,  real  or  imaginary,  which  are 
attached  to  the  theory  of  the  Mosaic  origin  of  the 
Pentateuch.  That  question  then,  which  is  at  all 
times  one  of  importance,  becomes  now  one  of 
peculiar  interest.  By  those  who  sustain  the  theory 
just  mentioned,  some  attention  must  be  paid  to  it, 
if  they  would  prevent  the  prevalence  of  erroneous 
opinions  derived  from  a  one-sided  view  of  the  sub- 
ject. It  is  not  meant  that  the  matter  has  not 
hitherto  been  fully  discussed.  The  contrary  is  the 
fact.  As  the  objections  to  the  genuineness  and 
authenticity  of  the  books,  commonly  ascribed  to  the 
Hebrew  lawgiver,  have  been  frequently  produced  ; 
so  they  have  been  patiently  considered,  learnedly 
met,  and  we  think  satisfactorily  refuted.  In  making 
this  statement,  I  am  aware  that  the  writer  under 
view  has  asserted  the  direct  contrary.  He  has 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  425 

pronounced  with  all  authority,  "  that  not  one  of  the 
objections  in  question,  has  been  refuted  or  attempted 
to  be  refuted."  *  The  affirmation  is  an  astounding 
one,  and  so  utterly  at  variance  with  fact,  that  we 
cannot  imagine  under  the  influence  of  what  halluci- 
nation it  was  made.  Partiality  to  our  own  views 
may  readily  lead  us  to  deny  the  soundness  of  argu- 
ments proposed  against  them  ;  but  it  cannot  surely 
pervert  our  apprehensions  so  as  to  render  us 
unaware  of  the  fact  of  their  having  been  offered. 
Professing  therefore  an  entire  incompetency  to 
explain  this  mystery,  it  is  again  affirmed  that  very 
many  attempts  have  been  made  to  answer  the 
objections  proposed.  But  these  do  not  exist  in  a 
form  fitted  to  produce  an  impression  on  the  public 
mind  in  general ;  but  are  found  in  voluminous  works 
of  a  grave  character,  which  few  persons  excepting 
theologians  consult.  Of  the  multitudes  who  may 
read  Dr.  C.'s  pamphlet — so  pregnant  with  difficul- 
ties, which  are  alleged  to  be  insuperable,  so  full 
of  scornful  denunciations  of  his  adversaries,  and 
sovereign  contempt  for  their  arguments — how  few 
can  be  expected  to  seek  information  from  any 
source  such  as  those  above  indicated.  On  this 
account  it  has  been  thought  desirable  that  this 
community  should  have  presented  to  them  some 
considerations  respecting  the  genuineness  and  au- 

*  Geol.  Pent.  p.  50. 

54 


426  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

thenticity  of  the  Pentateuch,  with  a  statement  of 
the  mode  in  which  the  usual  objections  can  be 
obviated. 

In  the  outset  of  the  investigation,  let  us  survey 
the  ground  which  it  is  proposed  to  occupy.  It  is 
not  then  designed  to  mingle  in  the  inquiry  any 
personal  or  temporary  considerations  whatever.  No 
reference  will  be  had  to  the  origin  or  merits  of  that 
controversy  which  seems  to  have  been  the  occasion 
of  the  hostile  demonstration  against  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures,  which  it  is  now  intended  to  meet  in  a 
spirit  of  candor,  and  with  the  weapons  of  legitimate 
argument. 

The  point  at  issue  is  this — Was  the  Pentateuch 
the  production  of  Moses  ?  Is  it  genuine,  really 
proceeding  from  him  to  whom  it  is  ascribed  ?  Let 
it  be  remembered,  that  this  is  a  consideration 
entirely  distinct  from  the  question  respecting  the 
authenticity  of  an  historical  record.  Admit  the 
Pentateuch  to  have  been  written  by  Moses ;  we 
may  still  inquire — Are  its  statements  authentic  ? 
Prove  that  it  proceeded  from  some  other  source — 
still  its  historical  details  may  be  true.  To  say  then 
that  this  book  abounds  with  falsehoods  and  absur- 
dities, is  not,  consistently  with  the  views  of  the 
Infidel,  to  suggest  any  proof  that  Moses  did  not 
write  it,  although  such  would  be  the  fact  upon  the 
principles  maintained  by  the  Jew  or  Christian. 

Before  proceeding  any  farther,   it  may  be  well  to 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  427 

inquire — What  influence  the  decision  of  this  ques- 
tion may  have  upon  the  authority  of  revealed 
religion  in  general,  and  upon  that  of  the  Christian 
religion  in  particular. 

What  is  the  nature  of  the  connection  between 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  between  the 
religious  dispensations  which  they  severally  estab- 
lished ?  To  what  extent  does  the  latter  affirm  the 
authority  of  the  former  ?  And  how  far  may  the 
manifest  error  involved  in  any  portion  of  the  one, 
affect  the  question  respecting  the  truth  of  the  other? 
These  are  questions  of  importance.  Let  us  hear 
in  reference  to  them  the  observations  of  the  judi- 
cious Paley  :  "  Undoubtedly  our  Saviour  assumes 
the  divine  origin  of  the  Mosaic  institution — un- 
doubtedly also,  he  recognizes  the  prophetical  char- 
acter of  many  of  their  ancient  writers.  So  far, 
therefore,  as  Christians,  we  are  bound  to  go.  But 
to  make  Christianity  answerable  with  its  life,  for 
the  circumstantial  truth  of  each  separate  passage  in 
the  Old  Testament,  the  genuineness  of  every  book, 
the  information,  fidelity,  and  judgment  of  every 
writer  in  it,  is  to  bring,  I  will  not  say  great,  but 
unnecessary  difficulties  into  the  whole  system. 
These  books  were  universally  read  and  received  by 
the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  time.  He  and  his 
Apostles,  in  common  with  the  other  Jews,  referred 
to  them,  alluded  to  them,  used  them  ;  yet  except 
where  he  expressly  ascribes  a  divine  authority  to 


428  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

particular  predictions,  I  do  not  know  that  we  can 
strictly  draw  any  conclusion  from  the  books  being 
so  used  and  applied,  besides  the  proof,  which  it 
unquestionably  is,  of  their  notoriety  and  reception 
at  that  time.  In  this  view  our  Scriptures  afford  a 
valuable  testimony  to  those  of  the  Jews."  * 

It  is  not  by  this  intended  to  say,  that  the  inquiry 
concerning  the  genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  is  not  an  important 
one  ;  nor  that  this  inquiry  cannot  to  our  minds  be 
satisfactorily  terminated  ; — it  is  only  meant  to  affirm 
that  this  is  a  distinct  question  from  the  one  respect- 
ing the  divine  authority  of  the  Christian  religion, 
excepting  in  so  far  as  has  been  above  stated. 

It  is  no  easy  matter  to  follow  our  author  in  his 
somewhat  desultory  observations  and  arguments. 
He  sets  out  with  laying  down  many  principles — 
some  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  correct,  others  the 
reverse,  but  taken  as  a  whole,  covering  the  entire 
ground  of  the  controversy.  With  respect  to  the 
admission  of  these,  he  professes  to  anticipate  no 
difficulty.  He,  however,  enters  more  into  detail, 
and  again  and  again  suggests  various  theories, 
derived  from  others,  respecting  the  origin  of  the 
Pentateuch  ;  with  many  objections  to  its  genuine- 
ness, and  mixing  up  the  question  in  reference  to 
this,  with  the  consideration  of  its  authenticity, 

*  Evidences,  part  iii.  chap.  3. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  429 

throws  out  many  scornful  accusations  of  falsehood, 
folly,  and  corrupt  intentions  on  the  part  of  its 
fabricators.  In  this  essay  a  stricter  method  will  be 
attempted.  With  a  careful  discrimination  between 
the  characteristics  and  proofs  of  genuineness  and 
authenticity,  I  shall  consider  the  reasons  which 
induce  the  belief  that  the  Pentateuch  was  written 
by  Moses,  examine  the  validity  of  the  several 
objections  to  this  hypothesis,  correct  various  errors 
of  the  writer,  upon  whom  I  have  already  made 
some  remarks — and  then  investigate  the  subject  of 
the  truth  and  divine  origin  of  that  book,  which  is 
the  great  depository  of  the  laws  of  the  Jews,  and 
the  most  important  of  their  historical  records. 


SECTION    II. 

The  Pentateuch  traced  to  the  Babylonish  Captivity. 

THE  Jewish  people  is  the  most  remarkable  of 
all  those  to  whom  the  earth  has  been  assigned  as 
an  habitation.  Other  nations  have  been  more 
renowned  in  arts  or  arms,  in  literature  or  civil 
polity.  No  one  has  been  comparable  to  it  in  its 
religious  distinctions,  or  resembled  it  in  its  peculiar 
destiny.  Presenting  for  ages,  amid  the  almost 
universal  defection  of  the  human  race  from  the 
primeval  and  pure  worship,  an  example  of  a  mono- 


430  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

theistic  faith  and  elevated  moral  system  ;  possess- 
ing historical  and  sacred  records  extending  into  the 
remotest  antiquity  ;  and  after  a  national  existence 
of  fifteen  centuries,  and  the  continuance  in  a  state 
of  dispersion  for  a  still  longer  period,  yet  remaining 
an  insulated  portion  of  the  family  of  man,  resisting 
all  the  amalgamating  influences  of  time,  servitude, 
and  an  active  spirit  of  proselytisrn  in  those  among 
whom  they  live — the  Hebrews  have  occupied  and 
still  possess  a  station  of  solitary  pre-eminence  on 
the  pages  of  history.  Nor  are  they  alone  distin- 
guished by  the  circumstances  just  indicated  ;  they 
possess  a  more  remarkable  prerogative  derived  from 
the  fact,  that  the  religious  systems,  which  sway 
the  minds  and  influence  the  conduct  of  the  most 
important  portion  of  mankind,  are  founded  upon 
that  which  was  promulgated  among  the  descend- 
ants of  the  renowned  individual,  to  whom  the 
divine  promise  was  given,  that  in  "  his  seed  should 
all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  The 
Christian  and  Mohammedan  religions,  widely  dif- 
fering in  their  genius,  their  moral  influence,  and 
the  character  of  the  evidence  upon  which  they  rest 
— alike  refer  to  the  revelations  made  through  Moses 
and  the  prophets.  And  while  the  disciples  of  the 
former,  regard  themselves  as  the  spiritual  children 
of  Abraham  ;  the  tribes  of  the  desert  among  whom 
the  latter  originated,  glory  in  him  as  their  natural 
progenitor.  And  with  respect  to  the  great  law- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  431 

giver  of  the  Jews,  as  observed  by  J.  Von  Muller, 
"  his  institutions,  his  history  and  his  name,  are  now, 
after  near  four  thousand  years,  the  objects  of  ven- 
eration among  all  the  nations  from  the  Tagus  to 
Hindoostan,  from  the  frozen  seas  of  Scandinavia  to 
the  country  of  myrrh  and  frankincense."  Apart 
therefore  from  the  sacred  considerations  associated 
with  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  there  should  be  pro- 
duced in  reference  to  them,  a  high  respect  and 
lively  curiosity — as  records  of  an  age  long  gone  by, 
as  a  picture  of  a  very  primitive  condition  of  society, 
and  as  the  great  original  depository  of  those  reli- 
gious truths  or  errors,  as  they  may  be  differently 
esteemed  by  various  persons,  which  have  powerfully 
and  permanently  influenced  the  human  mind  in 
these  latter  ages.  Such  being  the  interest  attached 
to  these  writings,  the  inquiry  into  their  antiquity, 
genuineness  and  credibility  has  been  often  prose- 
cuted, and  must  ever  be  deemed  an  important  one, 
in  a  point  of  view  both  literary  and  religious. 

It  is  intended  in  the  following  essay  to  attempt  a 
brief  outline  of  the  reasons,  which  induce  a  belief 
of  the  Mosaic  origin  of  the  Pentateuch,  the  most 
ancient  of  those  writings  which  constitute  what  is 
called  the  Old  Testament.  The  name  has  respect 
to  the  division  of  this  production  into  five  parts. 
The  four  last  of  these  divisions,  contain  a  full 
account  of  the  organization  of  the  Jewish  polity, 
civil  and  religious,  with  a  narrative  of  those  events 


432  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

which  preceded  or  attended  its  establishment.  The 
first  book  furnishes  a  necessary  historical  introduc- 
tion to  the  others,  exhibiting  brief  notices  of  the 
origin  of  the  human  race,  and  the  distribution  of  it 
into  several  tribes  and  nations,  with  a  more  particu- 
lar account  of  the  immediate  progenitors  of  the 
Jewish  people. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  reference  has  already 
been  made  to  the  distinction  between  the  genuine- 
ness and  authenticity  of  any  book.  It  is  not 
doubted  that  both  these  characteristics  can  be 
shown  to  belong  to  the  work  under  consideration. 
These  topics  will,  however,  be  made  the  subjects 
of  separate  investigation,  and  in  the  first  place  the 
proposition  will  be  maintained — That  the  Pentateuch 
was  written  by  Moses,  at  or  about  the  time  to 
which  it  is  usually  assigned.  Pursuing  this  course 
we  shall  not  be  liable  to  embarrassment  from  the 
extravagant  requisitions,  which  are  grounded  upon 
the  supposition  of  the  perfect  accuracy  and  divine 
inspiration  of  this  production  ;  a  thing  which  how- 
ever true,  it  is  not  necessary  in  the  first  instance  to 
establish,  being  more  properly  the  subject  of  after 
consideration.  The  point  which  it  is  incumbent  on 
us  first  to  ascertain,  is,  that  the  Pentateuch  pos- 
sesses the  same  character  of  genuineness  which 
marks  other  productions  of  antiquity — the  works 
for  instance,  of  Herodotus,  Thucydides,  Tacitus  or 
Livy.  It  is  manifest  that  evidence  of  a  higher 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  433 

nature  or  of  a  different  kind  should  not  be  sought 
in  one  instance,  which  is  not  required  in  the  other. 
But  here  the  principle  is  interposed  by  our  objec- 
tors, that  the  extraordinary  or  miraculous  nature  of 
the  facts  detailed  in  any  book  demand  that  a  more 
exalted  standard  of  proof  in  reference  to  its  genu- 
ineness should  be  applied.  The  principle  might 
have  force  with  respect  to  the  authenticity,  or  truth 
of  the  incidents  recorded  in  any  author  ;  otherwise 
it  is  perfectly  futile  and  irrelevant.  And  no  one 
ever  thought  of  doubting  that  Livy  wrote  the  his- 
tory which  bears  his  name,  because  there  are  many 
prodigies  recorded  in  it. 

It  is  now  between  three  and  four  thousand  years, 
since  the  delivery  of  their  law  to  the  Israelites  in 
the  Arabian  desert.  In  tracing  the  existence  of 
any  literary  production  through  so  prolonged  a 
period,  it  will  be  convenient  to  fix  upon  some 
great  landmarks ;  some  intermediate  points,  at 
which  we  may  pause  in  our  investigation,  and 
taking  a  survey  of  the  results  already  ascer- 
tained, prepare  to  penetrate  into  a  still  more  remote 
antiquity.  There  are  two  such  epochs  as  those 
above  referred  to — the  more  recent,  the  coming  of 
Christ ;  the  more  remote — the  return  from  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  about  five  hundred  years 
before.  We  might,  indeed,  at  once,  advance  to 
this  earlier  period,  and  assume  the  existence  at  that 
time,  in  their  present  form,  of  the  books  ascribed 
55 


434  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

to  Moses.  Of  all  the  theories  respecting  the 
origin  of  the  Pentateuch,  to  which  more  particular 
reference  may  be  made  in  the  sequel,  whether  pro- 
posed by  theologians,  heterodox  as  well  as  ortho- 
dox, or  even  by  infidels,  not  one  ascribes  it  to  any 
writer  later  than  Ezra.  This  fact,  while  it  ensures 
the  admission  of  our  principle,  does  not  preclude 
the  necessity  of  some  reference  to  the  grounds  upon 
which  it  rests.  Have  we  then  a  perfect  assurance 
of  the  existence  of  these  writings  at  the  period  of 
our  Saviour's  birth  ?  We  have  the  most  unques- 
tionable evidence  of  this  fact.  Independent  copies 
have  been  preserved  both  by  Jews  and  Christians, 
between  whom  there  can  be  no  collusion.  We 
possess  besides,  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch,  of 
which  we  shall  presently  speak  more  particularly. 
In  the  New  Testament,  which,  without  any  refer- 
ence to  its  divine  origin,  is  good  evidence  on  this 
subject,  we  find  manifest  reference  to  these  more 
ancient  documents,  as  then  existing.  More  par- 
ticularly there  is  a  distribution  of  the  entire  sacred 
writings  of  the  Jews  into  the  three  classes,  in  which 
they  have  been  at  all  times  arranged  ;  the  law,  the 
prophets,  and  the  Psalms  or  poetical  books.  In 
Josephus,  an  author  living  in  the  first  age  of  Chris- 
tianity, of  a  priestly  family,  well  versed  in  the 
learning  and  antiquities  of  his  nation,  we  find  the 
following  testimony  :  "  For  we  have  not  innumer- 
able books  which  contradict  each  other ;  but  only 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  435 

twenty-two,  which  comprise  the  history  of  all  times 
past,  and  are  justly  held  to  be  credible.  Five  of 
these  books  proceed  from  Moses ;  they  contain 
laws  and  accounts  of  the  origin  of  men,  and  extend 
to  his  death.  Accordingly  they  include  a  period 
not  much  less  than  three  thousand  years.  From 
the  death  of  Moses  onward  to  the  reign  of  Arta- 
xerxes,  who,  after  Xerxes,  reigned  over  the  Per- 
sians, the  prophets  who  lived  after  Moses  have 
recorded  in  thirteen  books  what  happened  in  their 
time.  The  other  four  books  contain  songs  of  praise 
to  God,  and  rules  of  life  for  man.  Since  Artaxerxes, 
up  to  our  time,  every  thing  has  been  recorded ;  but 
these  writings  are  not  held  to  be  so  worthy  of 
credit,  as  those  written  earlier,  because  after  that 
time  there  was  no  regular  succession  of  prophets. 
What  faith  we  attribute  to  our  Scriptures  is  mani- 
fest in  our  conduct.  For  although  so  great  a  period 
of  time  has  elapsed,  no  one  has  yet  undertaken, 
either  to  add  any  thing,  or  to  take  away,  or  to 
alter  any  thing.  For  it  is,  so  to  speak,  innate  with 
all  Jews,  to  hold  these  books  to  be  God's  instruc- 
tions, and  firmly  to  stand  by  them,  nay,  if  necessity 
required,  gladly  to  die  in  their  behalf."  *  Philo, 
the  learned  Alexandrian  Jew,  also  expresses  him- 
self in  the  strongest  terms  respecting  Moses  and 
his  books.  The  Targums  or  Chaldee  paraphrases 

*  Contra  Apion,  Lib.  1,  §  8. 


436  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

on  these  writings,  likewise  furnish  evidence  of  their 
existence  at  the  time  for  which  we  are  contending. 

Let  us  now  examine  the  proof  of  the  Pentateuch 
having  been  extant  since  the  age  of  Ezra.  In  the 
passage  of  Josephus  above  cited,  we  find  it  stated, 
that  "  since  Artaxerxes,  up  to  our  time,  every  thing 
has  been  recorded,  but  these  writings  are  not  held 
to  be  so  worthy  of  credit,  as  those  written  earlier," 
&c.  i.  e.  not  having  been  written  by  prophets,  they 
have  no  divine  authority  attached  to  them.  Many 
of  them,  however,  are  useful  moral  and  historical 
writings — of  this  character  is  Ecclesiasticus,  writ- 
ten two  or  three  hundred  years  B.  C. — and  in  it 
we  find  express  reference  to  the  ancient  sacred 
books  of  the  Jews,  under  the  expressions :  "  the 
law,  the  prophets,  and  the  rest  of  the  books." 

The  celebrated  translation  of  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures into  Greek,  which  is  termed  the  Septuagint, 
moreover  took  place  280  years  B.  C.,  in  the  reign  of 
Ptolemy  Philadelphus.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  the  original  work  did  not  exist  long  before  this 
time,  the  more  especially  since  the  Hebrew  ceased 
to  be  a  spoken  language  about  the  era  of  the  cap- 
tivity, and  books  were  no  longer  composed  in  it. 
But  the  least  shadow  of  doubt  is  removed  from  this 
subject,  by  a  reference  to  the  fact,  that  a  totally 
distinct  edition  of  the  Pentateuch  is  preserved  by 
the  Samaritans.  This  people  received  their  name 
from  Samaria,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  the  ten 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  437 

tribes  after  their  revolt  from  the  house  of  David. 
About  700  years  B.  C.  this  kingdom  was  subverted 
by  the  Assyrians,  a  great  part  of  its  inhabitants 
transported,  and  their  place  supplied  by  colonies 
brought  from  beyond  Euphrates.  The  new  inhabi- 
tants of  the  land  becoming  incorporated  with  those 
of  its  original  occupants  who  remained,  and  being 
instructed  by  an  Israelitish  priest,  formed  a  mingled 
race,  with  a  religion  substantially  Jewish,  but  with 
sundry  modifications  derived  from  their  ancient 
heathenism.  There  had  been  a  long  religious  and 
political  rivalry  between  the  two  kingdoms  of  Judah 
and  Israel,  previously  to  the  overthrow  of  the  latter. 
For  the  first  Jeroboam  had  not  only  gained  for 
himself  a  throne,  but  had  established  a  schismatical 
worship.  It  was  not  then  to  be  expected  that 
relations  more  amicable  would  exist  between  those 
contiguous  nations,  now  that  new  and  still  greater 
differences  had  arisen. 

Two  hundred  years  afterwards,  when  the  Jews 
returned  from  the  captivity  in  Babylon,  the  Sama- 
ritans proffered  their  assistance  in  rebuilding  the 
temple  of  Jerusalem  ;  which  being  rejected,  they 
threw  every  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  work.  Out  of  these  incidents,  grew 
up  a  still  more  bitter  animosity.  Eventually  the  son 
of  the  Jewish  high  priest  having  married  the 
daughter  of  the  Samaritan  leader,  and  having  been 
driven  from  Jerusalem,  a  temple  was  built  oo 


438  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Mount  Gerizim  in  which  he  might  officiate.  Dur- 
ing the  career  of  the  Macedonian  conqueror,  and  in 
the  age  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  many  circum- 
stances of  an  exasperating  nature,  took  place  be- 
tween these  already  hostile  races  ;  and  to  the  time 
of  our  Saviour,  there  had  yet  arisen  among  them 
"  no  friendly  dealings  with  each  other." 

Of  the  Samaritans,  there  are  yet  existing  some 
remnants  in  their  original  seat,  and  elsewhere.  They 
have  in  their  possession  a  copy  of  the  Pentateuch, 
written  in  the  Phoenician  or  ancient  Hebrew  char- 
acter, such  as  was  used  previously  to  the  captivity. 
This  has  been  obtained  from  them  in  modern  times 
only,  by  the  learned  of  Europe,  although  several  of 
the  early  Christian  fathers  were  apprised  of  its 
existence  in  their  age. 

Concerning  the  antiquity  of  this  copy  and  the 
source  whence  it  has  been  derived,  there  has  been 
much  controversy  among  the  learned.  Two  differ- 
ent opinions,  however,  have  gained  for  themselves 
the  greatest  support.  Some  suppose  it  to  be  very 
ancient,  and  think,  that  in  the  form  in  which  we 
now  have  it,  it  existed  among  the  ten  tribes  before 
Jeroboam.  Others  on  the  contrary,  who  do  not 
refer  the  Pentateuch  to  Moses,  but  to  some  author 
about  the  time  of  the  exile,  conclude  that  the  fugi- 
tive priest,  Manasseh,  to  whom  allusion  has  already 
been  made,  took  with  him  from  Jerusalem  the 
Jewish  copy  of  the  law,  and  translated  it  into  the 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  439 

m 

ancient  Phoenician  character,  to  which  the  Samari- 
tans were  more  accustomed.  This  is  the  theory  of 
R.  Simon,  Fulda,  Paulus,  DeWette,  and  Gesenius.* 
Rosenmueler,  Pro.  in  Pent.  ^  6.  referring  to  these 
two  opinions,  gives  in  his  adherence  to  the  former  ; 
alleging  as  a  very  forcible  reason  for  this  belief, 
that  in  the  whole  space  of  time  which  elapsed  from 
the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  until  the  destruction  of 
the  Samaritan  kingdom,  the  prophets,  Israelitish  as 
well  as  Jewish,  always  and  earnestly  exhorted  the 
people  to  render  worship  to  Jehovah  alone,  such  as 
is  enjoined  in  the  Pentateuch  ;  and  to  the  observ- 
ance of  the  whole  mass  of  laws  prescribed  in  it  ; 
the  same  remarkable  care  in  guarding  the  Mosaic 
institutions,  being  exhibited  by  the  true  prophets, 
both  of  Judah  and  Israel ;  and  this  entire  agree- 
ment, proves  that  there  must  have  been  a  code  of 
laws,  common  to  both  kingdoms.  These  consid- 
erations, we  think,  enable  us  to  trace  the  Pentateuch 
to  the  age  of  Solomon,  B.  C.  1000 — at  all  events, 
the  second  theory  above  mentioned,  proposed  by  our 
adversaries,  enables  us  to  establish  the  fact  of  its 
existence  immediately  subsequent  to  the  captivity. 


*  It  may  be  well  to  observe,  for  the  information  of  some,  that  no 
particular  authority  should  be  attached  to  the  opinion  of  any  Ger- 
man writer,  in  virtue  of  his  being  a  Theologian,  inasmuch  as  the 
wildest  and  most  daring  spirit  of  speculation,  untrammeled  by  any 
regard  to  the  truth  or  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  has  long  pre- 
vailed in  the  churches  of  Germany. 


440  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

As,  then,  our  investigations  are  likely  to  be  pro- 
tracted and  may  become  tedious  to  some,  and  as 
the  fact  under  discussion  is  on  all  hands  admitted, 
we  shall  regard  it  as  incontrovertible,  that  the  Pen- 
tateuch did  exist  in  the  age  of  Ezra,  who  flourished 
444  years  B.  C. 


SECTION    III. 


Concerning  the  agency  of  Ezra,  in  reference  to  the  Pentateuch  ;  the 
authority  of  the  books  which  bear  his  name,  and  the  subject  of 
the  Jewish  canon  in  general. 

THE  age  at  which  we  have  now  arrived,  is  cele- 
brated in  the  annals  of  the  world,  and  of  the  high- 
est interest  in  the  Jewish  history.  Cyrus,  the 
illustrious  founder  of  the  Persian  Empire  had  lived, 
and  his  successors  had  undertaken  those  memorable 
expeditions  against  Greece,  in  which  was  remarka- 
bly demonstrated  the  inefficiency  of  mere  physical 
force,  when  opposed  to  the  energies  of  freedom, 
and  in  which  such  moral  and  intellectual  qualities 
were  developed  in  the  invaded  people,  as  have 
covered  them  with  imperishable  renown.  The 
illustrious  schools  of  Grecian  philosophy  then  orig- 
inated. Herodotus,  the  father  of  profane  history, 
was  preparing  his  immortal  work.  The  various 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  441 

nations  of  the  earth,  were  becoming  introduced 
to  nearer  connection  with  each  other.  And  the 
shadows  which  rested  over  a  remote  antiquity,  were 
in  the  act  of  being  lifted  up. 

To  the  Jews,  however,  this  was  a  period  of 
still  greater  moment.  It  was  the  era  of  their  re- 
newed political  existence,  of  the  rebuilding  of  their 
desolated  capital  and  temple,  and  of  the  re-establish- 
ment of  its  imposing  worship.  During  several  suc- 
cessive irruptions  into  Judea,  the  king  of  Babylon 
had  carried  into  captivity  multitudes  of  Jews,  the 
holy  city  had  been  captured,  and  the  house  of  Je- 
hovah destroyed  by  fire. 

At  the  expiration  of  seventy  years,  the  period 
announced  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah  as  the  term  of 
their  captivity,  an  edict  of  Cyrus  was  issued  author- 
izing their  return  to  their  own  country.  Successive 
colonies  led  by  Zerubbabel  of  the  royal  line,  by 
Ezra  and  by  Nehemiah,  between  the  years  536  and 
444,  B.  C.,  amid  many  obstructions  and  delays, 
succeeded  in  rebuilding  the  temple  and  city  walls. 
The  Jewish  polity,  civil  and  religious,  was  under 
the  auspices  of  the  two  leaders  last  mentioned, 
placed  upon  that  basis  substantially,  on  which  it 
continued  until  the  final  dispersion  of  the  nation. 
Of  the  general  history  of  Ezra,  we  know  not  much, 
except  what  is  furnished  by  the  record,  that  "he 
was  a  ready  scribe  in  the  law  of  Moses,  which  the 
Lord  God  had  given,"  and  by  the  narrative  of  the 
56 


442  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

reforms  which  he  effected,  and  the  observances 
which  he  restored  among  his  countrymen,  in  con- 
formity to  the  requisitions  of  that  law. 

As  in  the  discussions  respecting  the  genuineness 
of  the  earlier  portion  of  the  Old  Testament  Scrip- 
tures, much  has  been  said  in  relation  to  the  agency 
of  this  distinguished  individual,  in  writing,  com- 
piling, or  issuing  a  new  and  corrected  recension  of 
those  Scriptures,  it  will  be  necessary  to  inquire 
what  are  the  decisions  upon  this  subject,  of  contem- 
porary documents,  of  trustworthy  national  tradition, 
and  of  probable  conjecture. 

What  documents  have  we  then  existing  derived 
from  that  age  ?  Besides  the  works  of  the  prophets, 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  we  have  the  his- 
torical books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  all  furnishing 
corroboration  to  each  other.  In  addition  to  these, 
the  writer  of  "  Geology  and  the  Pentateuch  "  wishes 
to  introduce  two  other  sources  of  evidence  ;  what 
are  termed  in  our  translation  of  the  Bible,  first  and 
second  Esdras,*  but  in  the  primitive  church,  third  and 
fourth  Esdras ;  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  being  reckoned 
the  first  and  second  books  of  that  name.  It  is  indeed 
only  the  fourth  book  of  Esdras,  which  will  at  all  serve 
his  purpose,  inasmuch,  as  in  this  alone  is  contained 
the  legend,  respecting  the  burning  of  the  law  and  its 
miraculous  restoration  through  the  instrumentality 

*  Greek  Orthography  of  Ezra. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  443 

of  Ezra.  We  may,  however,  institute  an  inquiry 
into  the  credit  due  to  each  of  these  books,  not  as 
inspired,  but  simply  as  contemporary  documents, 
bearing  upon  their  face  a  presumption  of  truth.  In 
this  aspect  of  the  case,  it  is  not  necessary  that  we 
should  enter  at  all  upon  the  subject  of  the  Jewish 
canon  of  Scripture,  either  in  a  general  view,  or  with 
reference  to  these  books  in  particular  ;  yet  since  our 
author  has  led  the  way,  we  shall  not  shrink  from 
following  him.  Let  us  then  hear  his  objections  to 
the  determinateness  of  the  canon  in  general.  There 
is  no  known  criterion  of  the  books  called  "  apocry- 
phal,"— every  ancient  ecclesiastical  author,  and  every 
division  of  Christians,  have  different  notions  of  books 
"  canonical,"  and  books  "  apocryphal."  "  Professor 
Michaelis  uses  the  term  apocryphal  for  authentic,  as 
distinguished  from  "  inspired,"  and  merely  in  oppo- 
sition to  "  canonical."  "  There  was  no  enumera- 
tion of  canonical  books  by  any  Christian  writer, 
until  the  time  of  Melito,  Bishop  of  Sardis,  A.  D. 
170."  "No  canon  settled  by  authority,  until  the 
Council  of  Laodicea,  A.  D.  468."  "  Council  of 
Carthage,  A.  D.  397,  admitted  the  two  books  of 
Esdras."  "  The  Greek  and  Romish  Church  receive 
Esdras  as  canonical."  These  passages  occur  Geol. 
and  Pent.  p.  51,  52,  and  on  p.  7,  it  is  said  the  canon 
was  settled  by  Church  authority,  at  the  Council  of 
Carthage,  A.  D.  397,  although  as  is  seen  above,  it 
is  alleged  not  to  have  been  settled  by  ecclesiastical 


444  ESSAY   ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

authority  until  the  council  of  Laodicea,  A.  D.  468, 
and  on  the  same  page,  we  read  :  "  There  is  no 
Jewish  writer  on  the  canon,  now  known  anterior  to 
the  Talmudists,"  several  centuries  after  Christ ; 
although  on  p.  52,  the  author  observes,  "  I  am 
aware  of  the  argument  in  favor  of  the  present  canon, 
drawn  from  Philo,  Josephus,"  &c.,  who  were  cer- 
tainly Jewish  writers.  These,  however,  are  trivial 
inconsistences,  in  comparison  with  others  which 
shall  be  cited  in  the  course  of  this  essay. 

We  here  observe,  that  the  first  objection  to  the 
determinateness  of  the  Jewish  canon,  is  grounded 
upon  the  ambiguity  of  the  terms  used  in  the  discus- 
sion. It  is  granted  that  those  terms  have  by  different 
persons  been  used  in  various  significations,  at  one 
and  another  period.  There  is  n  >  doubt  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  Eichorn,  the  term  "  Canon," 
meant :  1st,  a  publicly  approved  catalogue  of  all  the 
books  which  might  be  read  in  the  assemblies  of 
Christians  for  instruction  and  edification  ;  2nd,  a 
collection  of  divine  and  inspired  writings.  In  like 
manner  the  term  apocryphal  was  first  applied  to 
obscurely  written  books,  which  in  consequence  were 
"  set  aside,"  and  from  them,  nothing  allowed  to  be 
read  publicly.  It  was  then  used  to  designate  sup- 
posititious writings,  which  in  consequence  of  their 
worthlessness,  were  not  used  for  public  instruction, 
and  finally  writings  not  inspired.  It  matters  not, 
however,  what  terms  were  used  by  the  writers  on 

*  * 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  445 

the  subject  which  we  have  now  in  hand  ;  provided 
there  be  an  entire  consent  respecting  the  matter 
itself.  Eichorn  has  well  stated,  as  the  true  and 
perspicuous  notion  of  the  canon,  "  that  at  the  time 
of  our  Saviour's  appearance,  there  was  in  Palestine 
a  collection,  which  made  up  a  complete  whole,  and 
in  the  New  Testament,  was  sometimes  comprised 
under  the  appellation  Scripture  or  Holy  Scriptures  ; 
sometimes  paraphrased  by  law  and  prophets,  or  by 
law,  prophets  and  psalms."  That  there  did  exist 
such  a  collection,  is  fully  demonstrated  by  this 
writer,  in  a  lucid  and  beautiful  treatise  on  the  canon 
of  the  Old  Testament,  a  translation  of  which  may 
be  found  in  a  volume,  entitled  "  Essays  and  Disser- 
tations on  Biblical  Literature,"  published  in  New 
York,  1829. 

With  the  "  learned  and  condensed  arguments," 
presented  in  this  work,  our  author  professes  to  be 
well  acquainted,  as  also,  with  those  of  a  later  writer, 
Jahn,  whom  he  terms  "  far  more  suspicious."  And 
in  reference  to  both,  in  his  usual  uncourteous  style, 
he  observes,  "  they  do  well  perhaps  to  defend  the 
cause,  which  they  were  employed  to  support,  and 
which  supported  them."  He  did  not  advert  to 
the  fact,  that  German  theologians  allow  themselves 
all  freedom  of  thought  and  discussion,  and  that 
Eichorn  especially  was  far  from  being  subject  to  any 
trammels  of  authority.  But  to  return — by  these 
arguments  it  does  not  appear  that  our  learned  an- 


446  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

tagonist  was  convinced,  and  he  therefore  presumes 
that  they  will  be  equally  ineffectual  with  others. 

I  have  no  hesitation,  however,  in  asserting  my 
conviction  that  they  must  prevail  with  all  intelligent 
and  candid  persons,  who  will  bestow  upon  them  a 
proper  attention. 

The  great  variety  of  topics  which  must  necessarily 
pass  under  our  review,  does  not  permit  the  attempt 
to  give  an  exhibition  of  these  arguments.  The 
reader  is  earnestly  recommended  to  examine  them, 
in  the  above  cited  work  of  Eichorn,  and  in  Jahn's 
Introduction  to  the  Old  Testament,  a  translation  of 
which,  has  also  been  made  in  this  country.  The 
confident  assertion  "  that  every  ancient  ecclesiastical 
writer,  and  every  division  of  Christians,  have  differ- 
ent notions  of  books  canonical  and  apocryphal,"  is 
there  shown  to  be  entirely  unwarranted.  And  with 
regard  to  the  statements,  that  there  was  no  Chris- 
tian writer  on  the  subject  of  the  Jewish  Canon,  until 
Melito,  Bishop  of  Sardis,  A.  D.  170,  nor  any  canon 
settled  by  Church  authority,  until  the  Councils  of 
Carthage  or  Laodicea,  A.  D.  397  or  458,  I  would 
merely  observe,  that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  for 
what  purpose  they  were  made.  I  do  not  know  how 
much  earlier  than  the  period  first  indicated,  a  Chris- 
tian writer  could  have  been  expected  to  advert  to 
the  subject,  in  a  systematic  way.  Little  more  than 
a  century  had  passed,  since  the  first  preaching  of 
Christianity. — Where  the  great  object  was  to  extend 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  447 

the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  by  the  oral  communi- 
cations of  living  teachers,  there  were  few  writers  ; 
and  those  who  did  exercise  themselves  in  this  way, 
were  engaged  with  subjects  which  presented  more 
urgent  claims  upon  their  attention.  The  few  lite- 
rary productions  of  the  first  century,  and  of  the 
earlier  portion  of  the  second,  were  brief  addresses 
to  Christian  Churches  principally  of  an  hortatory 
nature  ;  and  apologies  to  the  Roman  Emperors,  in 
which  were  repelled  the  calumnies,  with  which 
the  new  religion  was  assailed  both  by  Jews  and 
heathens. 

Moreover,  when  Christianity  was  principally  con- 
fined to  Judea  and  the  regions  adjoining,  when  in 
all  places  there  were  many  Hebrew  Christians,  from 
whom  the  associated  Gentile  believers  would  neces- 
sarily learn  the  number  and  names  of  the  books 
anciently  accounted  sacred  ;  what  could  be  expected 
other  than  such  incidental  allusions  to  this  collection 
in  general,  or  to  its  particular  parts,  as  abound  in 
the  New  Testament,  and  in  the  writings  of  those, 
who  immediately  succeeded  the  Apostles.  At  a 
somewhat  later  period,  however,  when  Jerusalem 
was  finally  destroyed,  under  the  reign  of  Hadrian, 
and  the  Jews  dispersed  from  their  own  land  ;  and 
when  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  where  the  gospel 
had  been  preached,  there  existed  little  acquaintance 
with  Jewish  opinions,  and  no  minute  knowledge  of 
that  previous  religious  system  out  of  which  Chris- 


448  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

tianity  had  grown  ;  we  might  expect  Christian 
writers  to  refer  to  these  subjects  in  a  more  syste- 
matic way.  Accordingly,  we  find  Melito,  Bishop 
of  Sardis,  who  travelled  into  the  East  with  a  view 
to  ascertain  from  the  accounts  of  the  Jews  there, 
the  contents  and  number  of  their  sacred  books,  com- 
municating to  his  brother  Onesimus  the  result  of  his 
investigations. 

In  almost  every  Christian  writer  of  repute,  during 
the  next  three  or  four  hundred  years,  we  meet  with 
enumerations  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures, 
agreeing  in  all  important  particulars.  Many  of 
these  are  cited  by  Eichorn,  and  other  writers  on 
the  canon,  and  all  may  be  found  in  "  Lardner's 
Credibility  of  the  Gospel  History." 

It  is,  therefore,  ridiculous  to  talk  of  no  canon 
being  established  by  church  authority,  previously  to 
the  Council  of  Carthage,  or  that  of  Laodicea.  In 
truth,  the  Christian  Church  had  no  authority  to 
declare  any  thing  in  relation  to  this  matter.  It  is  a 
mere  subject  of  historical  inquiry — What  was  the 
collection  of  sacred  writings  extant  among  the  Jews, 
in  the  time  of  our  Saviour,  to  which  he  and  his 
Apostles  gave  their  sanction  ?  In  determining  this, 
all  we  need  is  the  testimony  of  credible  witnesses 
living  at  or  near  the  time.  And  of  this  we  have 
all  that  can  be  desired. 

We  are  now  to  examine  the  assertions  of  our 
author  in  relation  to  some  particular  books — the  first 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  449 

and  second,  or,  as  they  were  anciently  reckoned, 
third  and  fourth  books  of  Esdras.  "  The  Greek 
and  Romish  Church  receive  Esdras  as  canonical." 
The  Council  of  Carthage  admitted  the  "two  books 
of  Esdras;"  and  page  11,  it  is  said,  the  Greek 
Church  and  the  Roman  Catholics  admit  this  book 
of  Esdras,  (the  fourth,)  as  genuine.  A  quotation  is 
also  made  from  Prideaux,  which  will  presently  be 
cited  ;  by  which  the  authority  of  this  book  is 
attempted  to  be  supported. 

The  first  remark  which  I  would  make  upon  these 
statements  is,  that  here  we  have  an  artful  blending 
together  of  the  claims  of  two  books,  having  no 
necessary  or  actual  connection  with  each  other. 
What  may  be  true  of  the  third  book  of  Esdras,  he 
attempts,  in  this  way,  to  establish  respecting  the 
fourth.  Of  the  various  portions  of  Christendom, 
the  Greek  Church  alone  recognizes  the  canonical 
authority  of  the  third  (called  in  our  Apocrypha,  the 
first)  book  of  Esdras — and  this  recognition,  it  is 
attempted  by  a  skilful  generality  in  terms,  to  extend 
to  the  fourth  book,  (or  second  of  our  Apocrypha.) 
A  still  more  striking  illustration  of  this  remark,  is 
furnished  by  the  mode  in  which  Prideaux's  testi- 
mony is  used.  The  fact  of  a  suspension  of  the 
building  of  the  temple,  for  the  space  of  two  years, 
being  referred  to  by  this  author,  in  his  "  Con- 
nexion," &c.,  gives  occasion  to  the  following  re- 
mark :  "  so  saith  the  writer  of  the  first  apocryphal 
57 


450  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

book  of  Esdras  ;  and  although  he  be  an  apocryphal 
writer,  and  is,  in  most  things  wherein  he  doth  not 
translate  from  the  canonical  book  of  Ezra,  very 
fabulous,  yet,  in  this  particular,  he  may  be  well  sup- 
posed to  deliver  himself  according  to  the  received 
traditions  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived  and  the 
histories  then  extant ;  and  this  was  very  ancient ; 
for  it  is  certain  he  wrote  before  Josephus  :  and  an 
ancienter  evidence  than  this,  we  cannot  have  from 
any  writer,  since  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, concerning  this  matter."  *  Now  this  passage 
is  quoted  bv  our  author,  and  prefixed  to  an  attempt 
to  prove  that  Ezra  wrote  the  Pentateuch,  a  thing 
asserted  not  by  the  writer  of  the  third,  but  of  the 
fourth  book  of  Esdras.  Prideaux's  testimony  is 
therefore  clearly  irrelevant  ;  but  the  uninformed 
might  be  thence  led  to  conclude  that  this  distin- 
guished divine  intended  to  guaranty  the  competence 
and  credibility,  as  an  historical  witness,  of  the  writer 
of  fourth  Esdras.  But  what  does  Prideaux  say, 
concerning  this  book  ?  Controverting  the  opinion 
of  certain  fathers,  he  observes,  p.  103,  Vol.  II. 
Connexion, — "  They  had  no  other  foundation  for 
it,  than  that  fabulous  relation  which  we  have  in  the 
second  (fourth)  apocryphal  book  of  Esdras  ;  a  book 
too  absurd  for  the  Romanists  themselves  to  receive 
into  their  canon." 

*  Vol.  II.  p.  31.— Charlestown,  1815. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  451 

The  second  remark  which  I  would  make,  respect- 
ing the  statements  now  under  view,  is,  that  with  an 
exception  or  two  they  are  grossly  incorrect.  The 
Greek  Church  does  not  receive  fourth  Esdras ; 
neither  does  the  Roman  Catholic ;  nor  did  the 
Council  of  Carthage.  What  could  have  led  our 
author  into  these  errors  ?  He  seems  to  have  for- 
gotten that  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  were  anciently 
reckoned  as  the  first  and  second  Esdras.  For  once 
his  universal  learning  has  failed  him,  or  he  has 
voluntarily  erred  to  serve  a  purpose.  But  were 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah  accounted  as  first  and  second 
Esdras,  as  I  have  asserted  ?  The  proof  is  abundant. 
Let  us  hear  the  Council  of  Trent,  in  its  "  Decretum 
de  Canonicis  Scripturis."  In  the  enumeration  of 
the  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  we  perceive 
"  Esdrae  primus  et  secundus  qui  dicitur  Nehemias." 
No  notice  is  taken  of  the  third  and  fourth  books. 
Lactantius,  whom  Gibbon  has  pronounced  the  most 
eloquent  of  the  Latin  fathers,  A.  D.  306,  quotes 
Nehemiah  under  the  name  of  Esdras,  because  it  was 
reckoned  the  second  book  under  that  title.*  Jerome, 
A.  D.  392,  in  that  preface,  concerning  all  the  books 
of  the  Old  Testament,  which  he  terms,  "  Prologus 
Galeatus,"  giving  an  enumeration  of  them,  consis- 
tently with  our  received  canon,  only  grouping  two 
together  in  some  instances,  after  the  manner  of  the 

*  Lardner,  Vol.  HI.  p.  527,  London  edition,  1831. 


452  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Jews,  who  aimed  at  a  correspondence  with  the 
number  of  letters  in  their  alphabet,  observes — "The 
eighth  of  the  class  Hagiographia  is  Ezra,  which 
among  the  Greeks  and  Latins,  makes  two."  And 
in  the  preface  to  his  translation  of  Ezra  and  Nehe- 
miah,  he  says,  "  by  the  Hebrews,  they  are  reckoned 
as  one  book,  called  Ezra  ;  but  reckoning  them  as 
two,  he  had  not  translated  the  dreams  of  those 
apocryphal  books,  third  and  fourth  Esdras,  which 
were  not  found  among  the  Jews,  and  were  therefore 
not  to  be  regarded."  Origen,  A.  D.  230,  speaks 
of  Esdras  first  and  second,  as  being  in  one  book, 
called  by  the  Jews,  Ezra.  To  the  same  purpose 
express  themselves,  Epiphanius,  Rufinus,  and  Atha- 
nasius  in  his  Paschal  epistle.  We  need  no  farther 
proof  of  our  position  ;  and  when  in  the  canon 
recognized  by  the  Council  of  Carthage  we  find 
mentioned  first  and  second  Esdras,  no  man  of  com- 
mon intelligence  can  suppose  that  any  other  books 
are  referred  to,  but  those  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah. 
In  relation  to  the  fourth  book  of  Esdras,  I  would 
only  remark  farther,  that  it  is  not  extant  in  Greek, 
and  never  was  in  Hebrew,  and  subjoin  the  obser- 
vation of  the  learned  Basnage  :  "  We  suppose  the 
author  to  have  been  a  Jew  who  was  educated  in 
Chaldea.  In  his  writings,  he  has  borrowed  his 
arrangement,  style  and  prophetical  expressions  from 

*  Lardner  IV.  p.  420. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  453 

Daniel."  "  He  was  in  reality  a  Christian,  for  he 
often  speaks  of  Jesus  the  Son  of  God  ;  but  he 
retained  after  his  conversion,  the  reverence  which 
was  felt  by  all  the  Jews  in  the  time  of  Christ,  for 
their  cabalistic  learning  and  traditions."*  Such 
then  is  the  poor  authority  upon  which  rests  the 
legend  of  the  miraculous  restoration  of  the  law  by 
Ezra,  after  it  had  been  burnt ;  a  writer  living  five 
hundred  years  afterwards,  utterly  unsupported  by  any 
contemporary,  or  intermediate  document,  at  variance 
with  national  tradition,  and  opposed  by  authentic 
records.  That  some  of  the  early  Christian  fathers 
should  have  confided  in  his  statements,  can  add 
nothing  to  his  authority.  We  have  access  to  all  the 
sources  of  evidence  which  they  possessed.  And  we 
thus  perceive,  of  how  little  force  is  the  remark  of 
our  author :  "  Esdras  would  never  have  ventured 
to  publish  this,  as  a  fact,  to  the  whole  Jewish  nation, 
which  the  production  of  one  copy  could  confute,  if 
the  assertion  could  be  contradicted."  This  remark 
would  have  full  force,  provided  the  spurious  Ezra 
had  made  his  statement  at  the  time  when  the  fact 
was  alleged  to  have  taken  place ;  but  with  the 
understanding,  that  it  was  made  five  hundred  years 
afterwards,  it  is  entirely  futile.  To  this  we  may 
add  the  consideration  stated  by  Jerome,  that  this 
fourth  Esdras,  was  not  found  among  the  Jews. 

*  Basnage,  appended  to  Jahn's  Heb.  Com.  p.  578. 


454  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Bat  we  have  it  again  suggested,  "that  it  is  not 
true,  that  certain  ancient  fathers  had  no  other  reason 
for  their  opinion,  than  the  passage  in  fourth  Esdras — 
they  were  supported  by  the  traditions  of  the  whole 
Jewish  nation,  leaving  it  uncertain  whether  the 
Pentateuch  was  a  composition,  or  compilation  by 
Ezra,  or  partly  one,  and  the  other."  How  very 
logical  is  the  conclusion  arrived  at  in  this  remark ; 
the  fact  that  the  book  of  the  law  was  burnt  and  re- 
stored by  Ezra,  is  proved,  by  the  universal  tradi- 
tion of  the  Jewish  nation,  declaring  what  ? — why, 
"  leaving  it  doubtful  whether  the  Pentateuch  was 
composed,  compiled,  or  partly  one,  or  partly  the 
other." 

And  here,  I  would  note,  once  for  all,  the  artful 
and  disingenuous  use  which  our  author  makes  of  the 
phrase,  "  the  Pentateuch,  as  we  now  have  it"  If 
Ezra  had  added  a  single  note,  or  modernized  a 
single  name,  it  might  be  said,  that  the  book  as  we 
now  have  it,  was  not  the  work  of  Moses.  So,  also, 
if  in  the  lapse  of  ages,  any,  the  least  accidental 
corruption  or  omission  in  the  text  had  occurred. 
When,  therefore,  an  author  is  cited  by  our  antago- 
nist, as  holding  that  the  Pentateuch,  as  we  now  have 
it,  was  not  the  work  of  Moses  ;  let  him  state  what 
degree  of  change  was  believed  to  have  passed  upon 
it.  Let  him  also,  more  particularly  explain  his 
meaning,  when  he  declares,  that  he  would  not 
believe  upon  his  oath,  any  well-informed  man,  who 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  455 

should  assert,  that  the  Pentateuch,  as  we  now  have 
it,  was  written  by  Moses.  But  we  are  told,  that 
"  after  the  complete  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  no 
positive  evidence  of  the  loss  of  all  documents,  is 
necessary."  In  reference  to  this,  let  us  remember 
our  objector's  favorite  adage,  "  affirmantis  est  pro- 
bare."  It  is  no  where  said,  that  all  the  copies  of 
the  law  were  in  Jerusalem,  much  less  in  the  temple. 
Had  it  been  so,  they  might  have  been  preserved 
among  the  precious  things,  the  vessels  of  the  house 
of  God,  which  were  carried  off  by  the  conqueror. 
But  Daniel  had  long  before  gone  into  captivity,  and 
being  an  individual  of  great  learning  and  piety, 
doubtless  had  with  him  the  sacred  books  of  his 
nation.  So  would  we  remark  of  Ezekiel,  who 
prophesied  among  the  exiles — and  of  Jeremiah,  who 
remained  in  Judea  until  a  party  of  his  countrymen 
compelled  him  to  accompany  them  into  Egypt. 
Surely  also,  some  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  a  body 
of  men  especially  devoted  to  performing  the  cere- 
monial observances,  and  teaching  the  moral  precepts 
of  their  law,  must  have  had  copies  of  it.  Confir- 
mation of  this  conjecture  is  furnished  by  contem- 
porary documents,  as  will  be  shown  in  the  next 
section. 


*&  "*f 

*»t  Jfe  J^k_ 

456  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

SECTION  IV. 

Of  the  agency  of  Ezra,  in  relation  to  the  Pentateuch,  as  appears 
from  history,  as  affirmed  by  tradition,  and  as  indicated  by  the 
probabilities  of  the  case. 

THE  utter  worthlessness  of  the  fourth  book  of 
Esdras,  as  furnishing  any  evidence  of  an  historical 
fact,  having  been  clearly  shown,  it  only  remains  for 
us  to  inquire,  what  light  is  thrown  upon  the  subject 
of  our  present  investigation,  by  the  productions 
which  are,  unquestionably,  derived  from  the  age  to 
which  it  refers.  In  the  book  which  bears  his  name, 
Ezra  is  introduced  to  our  notice  as  a  ready  scribe 
in  the  law  of  Moses,  which  the  Lord  God  of  Israel 
had  given.  Certainly  then  we  are  to  understand 
this  law  as  existing  and  in  writing ;  for  in  the  ac- 
count given  in  a  previous  chapter  (iii.)  of  the  return 
of  the  first  band  of  exiles  under  Zerubbabel,  more 
than  fifty  years  before,  it  is  recorded  that  they  built 
the  altar  of  the  God  of  Israel,  to  offer  burnt-offer- 
ings thereon,  as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses 
the  man  of  God.  Ezra  is  farther  represented  as 
leading  a  second  colony  to  Jerusalem,  authorized  by 
the  Persian  king  to  establish  and  enforce  all  ordi- 
nances necessary  to  the  well-being  of  his  nation. 
Various  abuses  are  reformed  by  him  ;  and  under  his 
auspices,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  succeeding 
governor,  Nehemiah,  there  takes  place  a  solemn 


* 

ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  457 

recital  of  the  law,  in  the  hearing  and  at  the  request 
of  all  the  people.  "  All  the  people  gathered  them- 
selves together  as  one  man ;  and  they  spake  unto 
Ezra  the  scribe  to  bring  the  book  of  the  law  of 
Moses  which  the  Lord  had  commanded  Israel." — 
ch.  viii.  1.  On  the  24th  of  the  seventh  month,  a 
solemn  fast  is  held,  with  confession  of  sin.  The 
Levites  on  this  occasion,  in  the  course  of  their  ac- 
knowledgment, make  a  particular  recital  of  those 
incidents  in  the  history  of  the  Jews,  connected  with 
their  deliverance  from  Egypt  and  settlement  in 
Canaan.  This  circumstance  furnishes  proof  that 
the  Pentateuch,  substantially  in  its  present  form, 
then  existed.  The  time  taken  for  its  deliberate 
reading  is  a  corroborating  consideration  ;  and  there 
is  not  the  least  intimation,  that  on  this  occasion, 
any  production  was  brought  under  view  of  the 
people,  of  which  they  were  before  ignorant.  And 
here  it  may  be  a  matter  of  curiosity  to  collate  two 
passages,  connected  with  this  subject,  from  "Ge- 
ology and  the  Pentateuch."  In  page  47,  we  read  : 
"  Ezra  the  scribe  brings  out  the  book  of  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  reads  it  to  the  assembled  people.  This 
took  up  from  the  morning  until  midday,  including 
the  time  occupied  by  the  comments  and  explana- 
tions of  thirteen  priests,  besides  Ezra  and  Ne- 
hemiah.  Now,  this  could  not  have  been  the  Pen- 
tateuch, whatever  it  was — a  morning  could  not  have 
sufficed  for  the  purpose."  Nor  did  it.  The  reading 
58 


458  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

was  continued  for  seven  successive  days,  as  we  shall 
find  our  author  with  strange  inconsistency  arguing, 
in  the  extract  which  I  shall  next  adduce.  In  giving 
reasons  for  his  belief  of  the  Esdrine  origin  of 
the  Pentateuch,  the  third  consideration  alleged  is : 
"  Because  the  book  of  the  law  composed  or  com- 
piled by  Ezra,  took  him  seven  days  to  read  it  to 
the  people." — Page  50.  Was  there  ever  a  more 
glaring  contradiction  ?  Can  we  have  any  confi- 
dence in  a  writer  who  is  so  utterly  careless  as  to 
commit  such  an  oversight  ?  Or  can  it  be  possible 
that  it  was  intentionally  committed,  with  the  hope 
that  it  would  pass  unobserved  by  the  multitude  of 
his  readers  ? 

The  account  of  the  solemn  reading  of  the  law, 
which  I  have  above  extracted  from  the  book  bearing 
the  name  of  Ezra,  is  all  that  we  meet  with  in  doc- 
uments written  at  that  time,  concerning  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Pentateuch.  We  find  elsewhere 
abundant  recognition  of  its  existence,  but  no  specific 
account  of  any  critical  care  bestowed,  in  correcting, 
editing,  or  arranging  it.  It  is  well  known,  however, 
that  according  to  the  traditions  received  by  the 
Jews  of  later  times,  much  of  this  nature  has  been 
ascribed  to  the  individual  who  so  largely  shared  in 
the  work  of  reorganizing  the  Jewish  polity  after 
the  captivity.  Let  us  see  what  the  representation 
of  that  tradition  is.  Let  us  take  it  from  Prideaux, 
who  is  admitted  by  Dr.  C.  to  be  a  witness  of  un- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  459 

questioned  competency.  He  observes  in  his  Con- 
nexion, Vol.  II. — "  But  the  great  work  of  Ezra, 
was  his  collecting  together  and  setting  forth  a 
correct  edition  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  both 
Jews  and  Christians  give  him  the  honor  of,  and 
many  of  the  ancient  fathers  attribute  more  to  him 
in  this  particular  than  the  Jews  themselves  ;  for 
they  hold  that  all  the  sacred  Scriptures  were  lost 
and  destroyed  in  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and  that 
Ezra  restored  them  all  again  by  divine  revelation. 
Thus  saith  Irenseus,"  &c.  We  thus  perceive  that 
the  Jewish  traditions  extend  no  farther  than  the 
ascription  to  Ezra  of  a  collection  and  correct  edition 
of  their  sacred  books,  with  an  illustrative  observa- 
tion occasionally  introduced.  The  favorite  position 
of  Dr.  C.  was  only  maintained  by  certain  Christian 
fathers,  whose  sole  authority  was  the  fourth  book 
of  Esdras. 

But  while  on  the  subject  of  Jewish  tradition,  it  is 
necessary  to  advert  to  what  that  tradition  is  supposed 
to  mean,  when  it  speaks  of  the  law  of  Moses.  Our 
author  says,  p.  15,  "one  concession  I  am  compelled 
to  make,  that  the  expressions,  the  Law,  the  Law  of 
Moses,  the  Law  of  the  Lord,  and  the  Book  of  the 
Law,  are  often  met  with  throughout  the  Bible." 
He  is  sure  they  do  not  mean  the  Pentateuch,  but 
observes,  "  In  explaining  them  I  know  of  no  better 
authority  than  the  universal  and  uniform  account 
given  of  them  by  the  Jews  themselves."  Again  : 


460  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

"  The  references  to  Jewish  writers  and  authorities 
by  Prideaux,  is  laborious  and  ample ;  and  from 
them,  and  from  his  summary  of  Jewish  opinions,  it 
appears  that  these  expressions  do  not  mean  the 
Pentateuch,  except  so  much  as  was  written  at  Sinai 
by  Moses  himself,  as  we  shall  see,  i.  e.  the  two 
tables  of  stone  ;  but  they  mean  and  refer  to  the 
collection  made  by  Ezra,  from  the  traditionary  in- 
formation delivered  to  him.  All  this  is  so  plain  that 
I  shall  assume  it  as  undeniable,  and  consider  the 
Law,  and  the  Law  of  Moses,  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament,  as  expressions  that  refer,  not  to  the  law 
that  Moses  did  write,  but  chiefly  to  the  law  that 
Moses  did  not  write."  Now  it  is  strange  that 
expressions  occurring  in  books  long  anterior  to  Ezra 
should  refer  to  a  collection  which  he  made  from  the 
traditionary  information  delivered  to  him ;  but  I 
suppose  there  is  here  a  little  confusion  of  thought, 
and  that  it  was  meant  to  be  asserted,  that  what  is 
spoken  of,  in  the  historical  books  of  the  Jews,  as 
the  law  of  Moses,  was  merely  that  unwritten,  tradi- 
tionary law,  which  Ezra  afterwards  committed  to 
writing.  Yet  it  is  strange  that  the  designation 
"  book  of  the  law,"  should  be  given  to  a  mass  of 
civil  and  religious  observances,  regulated  by  tradi- 
tionary information  communicated  orally.  But  we 
have  seen  the  principle  of  our  author — now  for  the 
proof  which  he  gives.  He  contents  himself  with 
referring  to  Prideaux's  summary  of  Jewish  opinions, 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  461 

and  the  authorities  cited  by  him.  And  what  do 
Prideaux  and  his  authorities  affirm  on  this  subject  ? 
Absolutely  nothing,  I  unhesitatingly  and  broadly 
assert,  in  the  remotest  degree  sustaining  this  prin- 
ciple. The  reverse  is  clearly  established.  It  is 
utterly  amazing  that  a  writer,  having  any  preten- 
sions to .  candor  or  intelligence,  should  have  so 
mistaken  the  matter  himself,  or  should  have  at- 
tempted thus  to  mislead  his  readers.  Let  us 
examine  the  passage  relied  on  for  proof.  The  Jews 
have  a  twofold  law,  both  given  by  Moses  at  Sinai ; 
one  committed  to  writing,  the  other  handed  down 
by  tradition  from  generation  to  generation — both 
settled  by  the  authority  of  Ezra ;  for  while  he 
published  a  correct  edition  of  their  sacred  books,  he 
also  examined  and  allowed  certain  observances 
among  the  Jews,  resting  only  on  oral  tradition. 
This  is  what  Prideaux  and  his  authorities  declare. 
But  is  it  said  that  Ezra  committed  this  traditionary 
law  to  writing,  and  that  to  it  chiefly  refer  the 
expressions,  occurring  in  the  various  historical  books 
of  the  Old  Testament,  the  law,  &c.  ?  Not  one  word 
of  this.  Here  is  the  statement  given.  "  As  to  the 
ancient  and  approved  usages  of  the  Jewish  church, 
which  had  been  in  practice  before  the  captivity, 
they  had,  by  Joshua  and  Zerubbabel,  with  the  chief 
elders,  their  contemporaries,  and  by  others  that 
after  succeeded  them,  been  a  gathering  together 
from  their  first  return  to  Jerusalem,  as  they  could 


462  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

be  recovered  from  the  ancients,  &c.  All  these,  and 
whatever  else  was  pretended  to  be  of  the  same 
nature,  Ezra  brought  under  a  review  ;  and  having, 
after  due  examination,  allowed  such  of  them  as 
were  to  be  allowed,  and  settled  them  by  his  appro- 
bation and  authority,  they  gave  birth  to  what  the 
Jews  now  call  their  oral  law."*  This  oral  law,  it 
is  well  known,  was  never  committed  to  writing, 
until  after  the  time  of  Christ,  when  Rabbi  Judah 
collected  them  and  the  Mishnah  was  formed.  This, 
with  the  comments  on  it,  termed  Gemara,  constitute 
the  Talmud. 

But  again :  this  oral  law,  thus  conveyed  down  by 
tradition,  was  the  comment  of  which  the  Pentateuch 
was  the  text.  I  shall  not  cite  the  long  accounts 
which,  according  to  Prideaux,  the  Jews  give  of  the 
delivery  of  both  these  laws,  by  Moses,  at  Sinai ;  I 
would  only  observe,  that  Moses  first  delivered  to 
Aaron  the  written  law,  and  then  the  oral,  which 
was  its  interpreter.  Aaron  did  the  same  to  his 
sons  ;  then  to  the  seventy  elders,  and  they  to  the 
whole  congregation ;  that  they  put  the  text  into 
writing,  but  the  interpretation  of  it  they  delivered 
down  by  word  of  mouth  to  the  succeeding  genera- 
tions. It  is  farther  related,  that  many  years  after- 
wards, immediately  before  his  death,  "  Moses 
delivered  to  them  thirteen  copies  of  the  written  law, 
from  the  beginning  of  Genesis  to  the  end  of  Deuter- 

*Prid.  Con.  Vol.  ii.  93.  Charlestown  ed. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  463 

onomy,  one  to  each  of  the  twelve  tribes,  to  be  kept 
by  them  throughout  their  generations,  and  the 
thirteenth  to  the  Levites,  to  be  laid  up  by  them  in 
the  tabernacle  before  the  Lord."  The  oral  law 
was  also  committed  to  Joshua ;  by  him  to  the 
elders  succeeding ;  from  them  extended  to  the 
prophets,  from  age  to  age,  until  the  time  of  Ezra ; 
from  him,  still  unwritten,  it  passed  to  various  indi- 
viduals, successively,  until  the  time  of  Rabbi  Judah 
Hakkadosh,  who  wrote  it  in  the  book  called  Mishnah. 
Prid.  Vol.  ii.  98.  Again,  p.  107  :  "The  Jive  books 
of  the  law  are  divided  into  fifty-four  sections.  This 
division  many  of  the  Jews  hold  to  be  one  of  the 
constitutions  of  Moses  at  Mount  Sinai."  Moreover, 
"  the  written  text  consisted  of  613  precepts,  into 
which  they  divide  the  law."  Surely  this  was  more 
than  the  decalogue,  or  a  few  chapters  of  Deuter- 
onomy. Can  any  thing  then  be  plainer,  than  that 
the  universal  Jewish  tradition  reports  Moses  as 
having  delivered  in  writing,  at  Sinai,  the  very  books 
which  we  now  have  under  the  name  of  the  Penta- 
teuch ?  And  may  we  trust  our  eyes,  when,  in 
reference  to  an  opinion  directly  opposed  to  all  this, 
and  after  an  appeal  for  support  to  an  authority 
utterly  contradicting  it,  we  read,  "  all  this  is  so 
plain  that  I  shall  assume  it  as  undeniable"  !  !  Must 
we  not  admire  the  promptness  with  which  our 
author  advances  to  his  conclusion,  when  after  this 
formidable  array  of  proofs,  he  says,  "  I  trust  I  have 


*• 


.  .  » 

464  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

shown  that  by  the  expressions,  the  law,  &c.  the 
Jews  do  not,  and  never  did,  understand  the  Penta- 
teuch." Surely  no  clerical  logic  can  be  worse  than 
this,  nor  can  the  patrons  of  orthodoxy  furnish  any 
rarer  specimen  of  "  impudent  hardihood  of  assertion." 
Every  honorable  and  candid  man  must  admit,  that 
whatever  may  be  the  true  state  of  the  case,  such  a 
mode  of  managing  the  controversy  is  utterly  dis- 
creditable to  him  who  uses  it. 

We  have  seen  then  what  contemporary  documents 
assert,  respecting  the  agency  of  Ezra  in  relation  to 
the  sacred  books  of  his  nation  ;  what  is  the  tradition 
on  this  subject,  be  its  value  more  or  less  ;  we  have 
only  briefly  to  inquire,  what  is  dictated  by  proba- 
bility or  analogy.  On  this  topic  I  shall  merely  cite 
a  passage  from  Knapp's  Theology,  Vol.  i.  82.  He 
observes  that  at  particular  periods  in  a  nation's 
history,  learned  men  appear  who  interest  themselves 
in  its  literary  productions.  "  They  take  pains  to 
preserve  their  text  or  to  restore  it  when  it  has 
become  corrupt  :  they  show  the  distinction  between 
genuine  and  spurious  writing  ;  and  they  make  col- 
lections or  lists,  comprising  only  those  which  are 
genuine.  Such  persons  anciently  appeared  among 
the  Israelites,  and  afterwards  among  the  Christians. 
And  such  among  the  Greeks,  were  the  grammarians 
of  Alexandria,  under  the  Ptolemies.  They  distin- 
guished between  the  genuine  and  spurious  works  of 
Grecian  literature.  The  books  admitted  into  the 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  465 

canon  they  called  efxqivopBvoi,  and  the  books  excluded 
exxQivonevoi.  The  excluded  books  were  of  course 
less  used,  and  have  since  mostly  perished,  vide 
Ruhnken,  Historia  Oratorum  Graecorum  Critica, 
page  96.  These  remarks  illustrate  the  origin  of 
the  collection  of  the  Holy  Scriptures." 

We  may  reasonably  conclude,  therefore,  that  Ezra 
with  other  learned  men,  his  coadjutors,  did  bestow 
that  care  in  collecting  and  editing  the  literary  mon- 
uments of  their  nation,  which  we  know  to  have  been 
exercised  in  other  instances. 

It  appears  then — I.  That  we  have  the  fullest 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  the  Pentateuch,  imme- 
diately after  the  return  from  the  captivity. 

II.  There  is  nothing  in   contemporary  or  trust- 
worthy documents,   or    tradition,  asserting  that  it 
then  first  existed — that  Ezra  fabricated  it. 

III.  It  is  national  tradition  that  he  collected  and 
edited  the  sacred  books  of  the  Jews. 

We  have  now  to  inquire — What  reasons  sustain 
the  belief  that  the  Pentateuch  was  not  written  in 
any  intermediate  age,  but  must  be  referred  to  Moses 
as  its  author  ? 


59 


466  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


SECTION   V. 

Various  theories  respecting  the  origin  of  the  Pentateuch — Positive 
evidence  that  it  is  the  production  of  Moses. 

THE  author  of  the  "Connexion  between  Geology 
and  the  Pentateuch,"  observes,  p.  18,  "that  this 
book  is  by  universal  acknowledgment,  so  garbled 
and  interpolated,  as  well  as  so  utterly  uncertain  as 
to  its  author  or  compiler,  that  it  carries  with  it  no 
historical  credibility."  He  also  remarks,  p.  53, 
"  that  the  fact  of  these  supposed  writings  of  Moses 
having  been  compiled  at  some  unknown  time,  subse- 
quently to  the  captivity,  is  on  all  hands  admitted" 

This  writer  assuredly  uses  terms  of  universality 
in  a  very  extraordinary  acceptation.  If  there  be 
this  entire  agreement,  why  does  he  so  zealously  and 
perseveringly  exert  himself  in  sustaining  his  propo- 
sition ?  Are  there  no  ignorant  of  interested  sup- 
porters of  orthodoxy  who  maintain  a  different 
opinion  ?  Surely  there  are.  Otherwise  our  antag- 
onists, with  their  rare  benevolence  and  unques- 
tionable disinterestedness — who,  in  the  very  spirit 
of  martyrdom,  are  resolved  to  emancipate  their 
fellow  men  from  the  thraldom  of  priestly  domina- 
tion— would  have  a  light  task  to  accomplish.  But 
perhaps  it  is  meant  to  affirm  this  universal  consent, 
respecting  the  spuriousness  and  worthlessness  of  this 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  467 

production,  of  those  only,  who  having  the  same 
critical  acumen  and  the  same  honesty  of  purpose 
which  are  possessed  by  our  author  himself,  deserve 
to  have  something  conceded  to  their  opinion.  But 
here  again  the  assertion  is,  unfortunately,  utterly 
opposed  to  the  true  state  of  the  case.  Neither 
among  avowed  infidels,  nor  among  the  free  thinking 
theologians  of  Germany,  may  we  find  this  harmo- 
nious acquiescence  in  the  theory  above  suggested. 
Rosenmueler,  in  his  "  Prolegomena  in  Penta- 
teuchum,"  has  given  a  full  enumeration  of  the 
conjectures  of  those  who  dissent  from  the  received 
hypothesis  respecting  the  origin  of  this  book. 
Some  of  these  may  be  here  briefly  stated.  Le 
Clerc,  at  one  period  of  his  life,  ascribed  the  Pen- 
tateuch to  the  Israelitish  priests,  sent  by  the  king  of 
Assyria  to  instruct  the  inhabitants  whom  he  had 
transported  into  the  conquered  kingdom  of  the  ten 
tribes.  This  was  two  hundred  years  before  the 
return  of  the  Jews  from  their  captivity.  Frid.  Carl. 
Fulda  thought  that  the  Pentateuch  was  not  older 
than  the  time  of  David.  Nachtigal  supposed  that 
previously  to  the  time  of  Samuel,  there  were  exist- 
ing nothing  but  genealogical  tables,  with  few  or 
no  literary  remains  ;  that  the  achievements  of  an- 
cient times  were  only  commemorated  in  songs  and 
on  monuments;  that  at  this  period  these  historic 
odes,  which  had  been  in  a  great  measure  drawn 
from  inscriptions  on  stone  or  brass,  were  in  the 


468  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

schools  of  the  prophets  committed  to  writing  ;  that 
in  succeeding  times  many  books  were  written  by 
wise  and  erudite  men,  which  contained  these  odes, 
narrations  concerning  ancient  affairs,  and  a  collection 
of  laws ;  and  that  from  books  of  this  sort,  brought 
together  by  the  care  of  the  learned  of  that  age, 
under  the  direction  perhaps  of  Jeremiah,  the  Penta- 
teuch was  compiled  at  the  time  of  the  exile.  To 
Bertholdt  it  seemed  probable  that  this  book  was 
reduced  to  its  present  form  by  Samuel,  and  deposited 
in  the  ark  of  the  covenant ;  and  that  a  copy  of  it, 
written  upon  Egytian  linen,  was  that  volume  of  the 
law  found  by  Hilkiah  in  the  temple.  Even  Volney 
supposes  it  to  have  been  written  by  Hilkiah — of 
course  not  after  the  captivity.  What  then  are  we  to 
think  of  the  agreement  on  all  hands  that  it  was  not 
more  ancient  than  the  latter  period!  Spinoza, Vater, 
De  Wette,  and  Basse,  maintain  this,  but  a  large 
majority  even  of  the  opposers  of  the  Mosaic  origin 
of  the  Pentateuch  affirm  the  contrary  ;  while  the 
great  body  of  theologians  and  biblical  critics,  trace 
it  to  the  age  of  the  Jewish  lawgiver,  and  to  himself 
as  the  writer.  It  may  be  well  also  to  observe,  that 
of  the  authors  above  cited,  Le  Clerc  and  Basse  sub- 
sequently changed  their  opinion  and  wrote  in  favor 
of  the  genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch.  Rosen- 
mueler  likewise,  a  most  distinguished  German 
commentator,  having  originally  denied,  afterwards 
sustained  this  view.  As  to  any  deference  which 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  469 

should  be  shown  to  the  judgment  of  such  renowned 
critics  as  Vater  and  De  Wette,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  they,  as  well  as  the  advocates  of  more 
orthodox  sentiments,  had  their  preconceived  opin- 
ions, under  the  influence  of  which  the  reasonings 
were  conducted  by  which  they  arrived  at  their  par- 
ticular conclusion.  The  latter,  for  instance,  assumes 
it  as  impossible  that  miracles  or  prophecy  should 
exist.  He  rests  his  belief  of  the  modern  origin  of 
Genesis,  upon  the  consideration  of  the  miraculous 
events  related  in  it,  for  he  argues,  "  Such  accounts 
can  only  owe  their  origin  to  popular  report,  which 
must  have  been  of  very  long  standing  to  have 
become  exaggerated  in  the  degree  in  which  it  is 
given  in  this  book."* 

We  are  now  prepared  to  examine  the  evidence 
by  which  the  Mosaic  origin  of  the  Pentateuch  is 
demonstrated.  In  the  outset  of  the  investigation, 
however,  it  will  be  necessary  to  institute  the  in- 
quiry— What  does  this  document  bear  upon  its  face 
in  relation  to  its  age  and  authorship  ?  If  it  do  not 
purport  to  have  appeared  at  a  time  coeval  with  the 
origin  of  the  Jewish  polity,  and  to  have  proceeded 


*  "  Common  sense  determines  that  such  miracles  are  impossible. 
*  *  *  Might  not  events  have  happened  which  seemed  to  be  mi- 
raculous?— a  close  inspection  of  the  narrative  will  negative  this 
supposition.  The  result  is  already  attained,  that  the  narration 
is  not  contemporary,  nor  derived  from  contemporary  sources." — 
De  Wttte,  Ev.  §  145. 


470  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

from  the  lawgiver  himself,  it  were  useless  for  us  to 
assert  claims  on  its  behalf  which  itself  disavows. 
We  are  repeatedly  told  by  the  writer  of  the  tract 
to  which  reference  has  been  so  often  made,  that 
such  is  not  the  fact.  It  is  denied  "  that  any  passage 
of  the  Pentateuch  assigns  itself  generally,  or  any 
book  of  it  specifically,  to  Moses."  Again  it  is  said 
"  that  Moses  does  not  claim  the  Pentateuch  as  his 
production,  in  any  one  assignable  part,  and  that  it 
is  not  ascribed  to  him  from  the  beginning  of  Genesis 
to  the  end  of  Revelation."  Yet  again  it  is  author- 
itatively pronounced,  "  Moses  no  where  claims  the 
authorship  of  these  books,  nor  are  the  five  books  of 
Moses,  nor  any  book  among  them,  mentioned,  or 
cited,  or  referred  to,  in  any  part  of  the  Bible."  la 
view  of  these  assertions  it  is  incumbent  on  us  to 
ascertain  what  can  be  learned,  with  respect  to  the 
antiquity  and  origin  of  the  Pentateuch  from  its  own 
declarations,  and  from  the  remaining  Jewish  his- 
torical documents.  And  yet  in  meeting  this  very 
requisition  of  our  antagonist  himself,  we  are  doomed 
to  smart  under  his  sarcastic  reflections  upon  clerical 
logic.  "  No  author  is  permitted  to  fabricate  evi- 
dence in  his  own  favor.  You  must  establish  the 
genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  Pentateuch 
before  you  can  quote  its  authority  for  any  thing 
contained  in  it."  Then  follows  his  specimen  of 
clerical  logic,  which  I  shall  not  condescend  to 
transcribe.  All  that  I  will  here  observe  is — how 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  471 

unhappy  is  the  lot  of  the  poor  theologians.  If  they 
attempt  to  prove  from  its  own  declarations  that  the 
book  under  our  view  claims  to  be  written  by  the 
Hebrew  legislator,  they  are  accused  of  employing 
the  absurd  reasoning  to  which  allusion  has  just 
been  made  ;  if  they  omit  to  do  this,  they  are  trium- 
phantly told,  the  Pentateuch  makes  no  pretension 
to  be  his  production. 

But  let  us  advance  to  the  proof  of  our  principle. 
Moses  in  express  words  testifies,  Deut.  xxxi.  9 — 13, 
22,  24 — 26,  that  this  whole  book  was  written  by 
him  from  beginning  to  end,  delivered  to  the  elders 
of  the  people  and  priests,  that  it  might  be  kept  in 
the  tabernacle  by  the  side  of  the  ark  of  the  cov- 
enant ;  to  be  read  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  people 
every  seventh  year  at  the  feast  of  the  tabernacles. 
And  throughout  the  entire  work,  of  which  Deuter- 
onomy is  a  part,  Moses  says  that  he  committed  to 
writing — now  particular  laws — now  accounts  of 
transactions  occurring.  Thus  in  Exodus  xvii.  14, 
the  conduct  of  the  Amalekites  and  the  destruction 
destined  for  them  in  a  coming  age,  he  declares  that 
he  had  by  divine  command  written  in  a  book, 
without  doubt  already  begun,  as  may  be  gathered, 
says  Rosenmueler,  from  the  words  being  written 
with  the  article — by  which  it  is  signified  that  he 
spake  of  one  particular  and  well  known  book.  Ex. 
xxiv.  4,  7.  After  the  Israelites  had  received  the 
law  from  Moses,  "  he  wrote  all  the  words  of  Je- 


472  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

hovah  in  the  book  of  the  covenant  which  he  read 
to  the  assembled  people."  When  to  these  precepts 
others  were  added,  he  was  also  commanded,  Ex. 
xxxiv.  27,  to  commit  them  to  writing.  Moreover, 
Numb,  xxxiii.  1,  2,  he  is  said,  by  the  command  of 
Jehovah,  to  have  written  out  the  journeyings  of  the 
Israelites.  The  book  of  Numbers  is  closed  with 
these  words  :  "  These  are  the  commandments  and 
the  judgments  which  the  Lord  commanded  by  the 
hand  of  Moses  unto  the  children  of  Israel  in  the 
plains  of  Moab,  by  Jordan,  near  Jericho."  Lastly, 
in  Deuteronomy,  in  which  are  contained  the  con- 
clusion, the  explanation  and  supplement  of  his  laws, 
Moses  in  his  addresses  to  the  people,  again  and 
again  speaks  of  "  this  law,"  and  "  the  book  of  this 
law."  Especially  to  be  remarked  is  the  place, 
Deuteronomy  xxviii.  61,  where  in  the  address  in 
which  Moses  threatens  the  Israelites  with  all  ca- 
lamities, in  case  of  disobedience  to  the  divine 
commands,  among  other  things  there  we  read, 
"  Every  sickness  and  every  plague  which  is  not 
written  in  the  book  of  this  law,  them  will  the  Lord 
bring  upon  thee."  Whence  it  follows  that  Moses 
had  delivered  this  book  to  the  people  and  so  had 
himself  committed  his  communications  to  writing. 

The  result,  then,  at  which  we  have  arrived  by 
this  hasty  review  of  the  contents  of  the  document 
whose  claims  wre  are  discussing,  is,  that  Moses  is 
represented  as  at  intervals  writing  much  ;  as  re- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  473 

cording  not  only  laws,  but  narratives  of  transactions, 
predictions  of  future  events,  directions  respecting 
particular  works  with  an  account  of  their  com- 
pletion— for  instance  the  various  instruments  of  the 
solemn  and  imposing  worship  which  was  instituted. 
The  whole  character  of  the  book,  wtth  its  expressed 
contents,  is  entirely  conformed  to  what  we  observe 
in  the  Pentateuch  now  possessed  by  us.  That  the 
writer  speaks  of  himself  in  the  third  person,  need 
excite  no  surprise  in  one  whose  reading  has  ex- 
tended so  far  as  Caesar's  Commentaries. 

But  in  many  parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  the 
"  law  of  Moses,"  and  the  law  which  Jehovah  gave 
by  Moses,  is  mentioned.  In  the  book  of  Joshua — 
which  though  it  be  much  more  recent  than  the  age 
of  that  leader,  was  doubtless  composed,  as  respects 
its  greatest  part,  from  documents,  if  not  obviously 
contemporary,  certainly  very  ancient — we  find  it 
recorded,  that  very  soon  after  the  death  of  Moses, 
Joshua  was  admonished  that  he  should  read  the 
book  of  the  law  continually.  Josh.  i.  7,  8.  And 
again,  in  an  address  to  the  people,  chap,  xxiii. 
3 — 16,  this  ruler  admonishes  the  elders  of  Israel, 
that  they  should  do  all  things  which  were  written 
in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses  ;  and  he  not  only 
makes  mention  of  many  laws,  but  many  occurrences 
are  described,  and  promises  and  threats  proposed  in 
it.  At  a  still  later  period  of  the  Jewish  history, 
David,  about  to  die,  exhorts  Solomon  his  son  to 
60 


474  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

observe  all  the  precepts  "  which  are  written  in  the 
law  of  Moses."  1  Kings,  ii.  3.  Nor  does  the 
2d  Kings,  xiv.  6,  admit  of  anj  question,  in  which 
Amaziah,  king  of  Judah,  is  said  to  have  spared  the 
children  of  the  murderers  of  his  father,  "  according 
to  what  is  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses  ,*" 
and  to  which  there  is  subjoined  the  passage  now 
read  in  Deut.  xxiv.  16.  Jehoshaphat,  2d  Chron. 
xvii.  9,  sends  priests  "  with  the  book  of  the  law  of 
Jehovah "  throughout  the  cities  and  villages  to 
instruct  the  people.  In  the  reign  of  Hezekiah, 
(2d  Ghron.  xxx.  16—18  ;  xxxi.  3,  4,  21.)  this  king 
causes  the  passover  to  be  celebrated  "  as  it  is 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Jehovah."  Under 
Josiah,  (2d  Chron.  xxxiv.  15.)  it  is  said  that  the 
book  of  the  law  of  Jehovah,  by  the  hand  of  Moses, 
was  found  in  the  temple.*  During  the  captivity 
the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses  is  mentioned  by 
Daniel,  chap.  ix.  13.  References  to  this  book  after 
the  return  from  Babylon,  and  before  the  time  of 
Ezra,  have  been  already  cited  in  a  former  part  of 
this  discussion. 

The  above  collection  of  passages,  by  which,  we 
think,  is  proved  the  existence  of  the  Pentateuch,  in 
every  period  of  the  Jewish  history,  from  the  time  of 

*  The  supposition  that  this  book  is  a  forgery  of  Hilkiah,  we  shall 
consider  elsewhere.  Its  being  mentioned  here,  is  a  valid  argument 
against  those  who  ascribe  the  Pentateuch  to  Ezra,  and  refer  it  to  a 
period  subsequent  to  the  captivity. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  475 

Moses  to  the  era  of  the  captivity,  may  suffice. 
Those  who  desire  farther  satisfaction  may  consult 
Jahn's  Introduction.  The  only  mode  in  which  the 
argument  grounded  upon  them  can  be  evaded,  is 
that  adopted  by  Vater,  who  asserts  that  these  cita- 
tions only  prove  that  certain  laws  and  ancient 
written  histories  existed,  but  not  the  whole  Penta- 
teuch. In  this  opinion,  which  is  a  mere  conjecture, 
he  is,  in  substance,  followed  by  Dr.  C.,  who 
peremptorily  denies  that  the  phrases  "  law  of 
Moses"  &c.  mean  the  Pentateuch.  We  have 
already  seen  how  "  lame  and  impotent"  was  the 
conclusion  attempted  to  be  drawn  from  modern 
Jewish  opinion,  by  a  reference  to  "  Prideaux  and 
his  authorities,"  to  prove  that  about  which  they 
affirm  not  one  word.  As  no  additional  reason  is 
urged  to  sustain  an  opinion  which  our  author  again 
pronounces  "  ex  cathedra,"  we  can  only  request  a 
candid  and  careful  examination  of  the  testimonials 
above  recited,  and  suggest  some  general  considera- 
tions corroborative  of  the  position  which  they  are 
intended  to  sustain. 

In  what  age  and  by  what  author  any  book  was 
written,  are  facts  which  can  only  be  determined  by 
historical  evidence.  This  evidence  may  be,  first, 
the  testimony  of  those  who  possess  the  means  of 
information,  and  who  have  no  inducement  to  mislead 
us.  Second,  certain  marks  in  the  work  itself,  as 
respects  language,  style  and  sentiment,  which  point 


476  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

out  its  age  and  authorship.  The  evidence  of  the 
former  class  possessed  by  the  work  in  question,  is 
most  ample.  It  has  been  handed  down  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  as  the  production  of  him 
whose  name  it  bears.  Those  who  lived  contempo- 
raneously with  its  origin,  and  transcribed  this  book, 
together  with  those  who  in  successive  ages  trans- 
cribed it,  form  a  series  of  witnesses  to  its  genuine- 
ness. This  is  a  proof  which  we  never  hesitate  to 
admit  in  regard  to  the  profane  authors  of  antiquity, 
and  this  national  testimony  is,  in  regard  to  the  Pen- 
tateuch, particularly  satisfactory.  Books,  at  so 
early  a  period  as  the  one  at  which  it  dates  its 
origin,  were  rare,  and  it  was  less  difficult  to  retain 
the  recollection  of  the  author  from  whom  they  pro- 
ceeded. This  recollection  was  preserved  in  the 
familiar  instruction  of  fathers  to  their  children. 
Deut.  xxxii.  7  ;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  3 — 7.  A  whole  tribe, 
moreover,  was  devoted  to  the  services  of  religion, 
which  were  intimately  connected  with  a  proper 
preservation  of  their  sacred  records.  Nor  was  there 
any  motive  to  induce  the  Hebrews  to  corrupt  the 
pure  tradition  relative  to  the  source  whence  they 
were  derived  ;  I  mean  so  as  to  ascribe  to  Moses 
what  did  not  belong  to  him.  Rather  might  they 
have  been  tempted  to  deny  that  a  book  containing 
many  representations  discreditable  to  their  nation 
had  been  written  by  their  illustrious  and  honored 
legislator.  And  the  very  fact  that  the  Jews  ac- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  477 

knowledged  their  ignorance  of  the  date  and  author- 
ship of  several  of  their  historical  books,  furnishes 
to  us  a  guaranty  that  when  they  do  affirm  any  thing 
on  the  subject,  they  speak  from  adequate  informa- 
tion. 

We  find  then,  by  a  reference  to  the  passages 
cited  by  the  later  writers  of  the  Old  Testament, 
that  there  was  at  all  times  a  "  book  of  the  law  of 
Jehovah,  written  by  Moses."  We  perceive  that 
the  laws,  the  promises  and  threatenings,  the  his- 
torical narrations  referred  to,  are  all  such  as  we  now 
find  in  the  Pentateuch.  Particularly  is  this  mani- 
fest from  many  allusions  in  the  Psalms  and  prophets, 
which  I  have  omitted  to  cite,  but  which  may  be 
seen  in  Rosenmueler's  Prolegnomena,*  and  in  Jahn. 
The  "  book  of  the  law,"  then,  was  the  Pentateuch, 
as  appears  from  the  ancient  national  testimony  of 
the  Jews.  Nor  do  their  accredited  modern  tradi- 
tions at  all  oppose  this  conclusion,  NOTWITHSTAND- 
ING the  REPEATED  and  CONFIDENT  assertions  of  our 

ANTAGONIST. 


*  An  excellent  abstract  of  his  arguments,  with  additional  con- 
siderations, may  be  seen  in  an  article  on  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch, 
originally  published  in  the  North  American  Review,  April,  1826; 
afterwards  in  Biblical  Repository,  October,  1832,  by  Professor  Stuart. 
Dr.  C.  speaks  respectfully  of  it,  and  opposes  some  assertions  to  its 
arguments. 


478  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

SECTION    VI. 

Positive  evidence  of  the  Mosaic  origin  of  the  Pentateuch,  continued. 

BUT  the  internal  marks  of  genuineness  exhibited 
by  this  book  are  not  less  satisfactory  than  the  ex- 
ternal proofs  which  support  it.  The  historical, 
political,  and  geographical  details  respecting  the 
most  remote  antiquity  which  it  contains,  especially 
what  pertains  to  the  history  and  physical  character 
of  Egypt  and  Arabia,  are  so  composed  as  to  afford 
a  strong  presumption  that  they  were  written  by  a 
man  who,  at  an  ancient  age,  was  liberally  educated 
in  the  former  country.  What  we  read  respecting 
the  Exodus  of  the  Israelites,  and  their  journies 
through  the  Arabian  desert,  is  in  remarkable  ac- 
cordance with  the  statements  of  modern  travellers. 
The  genius  and  conformation  of  the  entire  work, 
are  moreover  in  exact  correspondence  with  the 
-character  and  circumstances  of  the  author.  In  the 
last  of  the  five  books,  we  hear  the  legislator  ad- 
dressing the  people  whom  he  had  governed  many 
years;  but  now  advanced  in  life,  as  the  more  diffuse 
style,  which  all  observe  in  Deuteronomy,  proves. 
In  this  book,  we  hear  the  ruler,  now  near  his  end, 
recalling  to  the  remembrance  of  his  people  all  things 
which  had  happened  to  them  during  his  government, 
and  solemnly  exhorting  them  to  obey  the  laws 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  479 

which  he  had  by  divine  authority  communicated  to 
them,  repealing  also  some,  and  supplying  others. 
But  Deuteronomy  supposes  the  existence  of  the 
books  which  precede  it,  to  whose  matter  it  often 
refers,  urging  an  observance  of  the  laws  contained 
in  them,  by  a  consideration  of  the  events  which 
they  narrate.  Again  the  order  of  composition  ex- 
hibited in  these  books — the  slight  connection  some- 
times existing  between  its  several  parts  having  their 
own  distinct  closes,  show  an  author  not  writing 
continuously,  but  with  frequent  interruptions,  such 
as  we  know  Moses  to  have  been,  oppressed  with 
incessant  engagements,  and  distracted  by  constant 
journeyings. 

But  among  the  internal  evidences  of  genuineness 
possessed  by  the  Pentateuch,  may  be  mentioned 
that  derived  from  its  style,  or  the  character  of  the 
language  in  which  it  is  written.  I  am  aware  that 
reference  has  been  made  to  this  consideration  for  a 
purpose  entirely  different.  It  has  been  alleged  as 
an  argument  against  the  antiquity  of  this  book,  that 
its  language  does  not  sufficiently  differ  from  that 
which  was  common  in  a  much  more  recent  age. 
No  difficulty  is  felt  in  making  the  admission  that 
the  Hebrew  language  in  the  ages  of  Moses  and 
David,  did  not  present  the  degree  of  diversity  which 
we  observe  in  some  other  instances.  This,  however, 
is  the  result  of  a  characteristic  which  it  possesses  in 
common  with  the  oriental,  and  by  which  it  is  dis- 


480  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

tinguished  from  the  occidental  dialects.  The  per- 
manence which  marks  eastern  usages  in  general,  is 
also  an  attribute  of  their  languages.  The  facts, 
moreover,  that  these  so  little  vary  during  the  lapse 
of  ages,  is  in  a  considerable  degree  attributable  to 
the  neglect  to  express  their  vowels,  the  consonants 
alone  having  been  originally  used.  Of  course  the 
spoken  language  might  at  different  periods  present  a 
great  diversity,  of  which  no  trace  would  be  exhibited 
by  the  same  language  in  its  written  monuments. 
Accordingly,  as  Rosenmueler  remarks,  the  Arabic  of 
the  Koran,  but  slightly  differs  from  that  used  in  the 
productions  of  ages  much  more  recent.  The  same 
remark  is  also  applicable  to  the  Syriac.  But  having 
in  the  fullest  manner  made  this  admission,  it  is  still 
undeniable,  that  the  language  of  the  Pentateuch 
exhibits  the  most  unquestionable  evidence  of  antiq- 
uity, and  is  remarkably  distinguished  from  that  of 
the  later  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 

Prof.  Stuart,  in  his  article  on  the  Samaritan  Pen- 
tateuch, to  which  I  have  already  referred  in  a  note, 
makes  the  following  statement,  which  is  also  made 
by  Rosenmueler.  The  late  Prof.  Jahn,  by  betaking 
himself  to  his  Hebrew  Concordance,  and  looking 
the  whole  store  of  words  through,  to  ascertain 
where  and  by  whom  they  were  used,  arrived  at  the 
following  result :  "  He  collected  from  the  Penta- 
teuch more  than  two  hundred  words  which  are 
either  not  used  at  all  in  the  other  books ;  or  are  not 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  481 

used  in  the  same  sense;  or  have  not  the  same  form; 
or  if  employed  at  all,  are  employed  but  in  a  few 
instances,  principally  by  the  poets,  who  prefer  the 
older  diction.  To  this  class  he  has  added  a  second 
still  larger,  of  words  frequently  used  in  the  later 
writings,  but  seldom  or  never  in  the  older.  From 
these  classes  are  excluded  all  proper  names,  and  in 
general  all  suoh  as  from  different  circumstances  of 
ages  and  countries,  and  from  the  peculiarities  of  the 
writer,  might  be  expected  to  be  used  at  one  time 
rather  than  another."  This  result  attained  by  Jahn, 
Prof.  Stuart  observes,  seems  to  have  settled  the 
controversy  on  this  point  in  Germany ;  Gesenius 
not  having  in  his  last  work  ventured  on  the  argu- 
ment against  the  early  date  of  the  Pentateuch 
drawn  from  its  language.  We  conclude  then,  that 
so  far  as  the  testimony  of  a  whole  nation,  the  cita- 
tions in  subsequent  writers,  numerous  instances  of 
correspondence  with  the  characteristics  of  the  re- 
puted author  and  age  in  which  he  lived,  and  the 
antique  style  of  composition,  can  establish  the  genu- 
ineness of  any  book,  that  of  the  Pentateuch  is  sus- 
tained in  a  manner  to  which  we  can  find  no  parallel 
in  literary  history. 

But  it  is  alleged,  with  an  air  of  triumph,  that  the 
learned  and  refined  nations  of  antiquity  were  unac- 
quainted alike  with  the  Jews  and  their  reputedly 
sacred  books.  Now,  in  the  first  place,  it  is  an  alto- 
gether unprecedented  procedure,  to  require  the 
61 


482  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

testimony  of  foreign  nations  to  the  existence  or 
authorship  of  any  literary  production.  He  that 
should  demand  that  the  genuineness  of  the  poems  of 
Homer,  for  instance,  should  be  established  by  Egyp- 
tain  or  Phoenician  testimony,  and  who  in  the 
absence  of  this,  should  pertinaciously  reject  the  most 
ample,  and  universal,  and  unchanging  testimony  of 
the  Greek  nation,  would  certainly  not  deserve  to  be 
argued  with ;  and  precisely  of  this  nature  is  the 
requisition  made  upon  the  defenders  of  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures.  But  again,  where  are  we  to  look  for 
confirmation,  either  of  the  authorship  and  age  of 
these  books  or  of  the  authenticity  of  the  incidents 
mentioned  in  them  ?  At  the  dawn  of  profane 
history,  in  the  age  when  certainty  began  to  distin- 
guish its  records,  there  is  no  question  respecting  the 
existence  of  the  Pentateuch  in  its  present  form. 
The  litigated  point  is,  Did  it  exist  many  ages  anterior 
to  this?  Jewish  historical  books  of  posterior  origin, 
recognize  this  fact.  But  we  are  called  upon  to 
sustain  it  by  a  reference  to  authors  of  foreign 
nations.  And  where  shall  we  find  them  ?  We 
shall  not  of  course  be  expected  to  look  to  India,  or 
China,  countries  claiming  great  antiquity,  but  whose 
remoteness  forbids  the  expectation  of  finding  any 
reference  to  the  national  concerns,  and  much  less  to 
the  literary  productions  of  the  Jews,  in  their  early 
writers,  even  admitting  that  any  existed  contempo- 
raneously with  the  period  of  which  we  are  treating. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  483 

With  more  reason  might  we  turn  to  the  Chaldean, 
Egyptian,    and    Phoenician    records,    as    likely   to 
furnish  some  notices  of  a  people,   connected  with 
these  nations  by  consanguinity,  by  language,  or  by 
a  long  series  of  transactions  alternately  of  an  ami- 
cable and  hostile  character.     But  where  are  those 
records  ?     Of  Berosus,  the  Babylonian  historian,  we 
have  only  a  few  fragments  remaining  preserved  by 
Josephus  and  Eusebius,  and  he  lived  in  the  age  of 
Alexander,    a    century    after   the    time    of  Ezra. 
Manetho  wrote  his  Egyptian  history   by  order  of 
Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  at  a  period  no  earlier  than 
the  date  of  the  Septuagint  translation  of  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures.     Of  this  history  we  have  likewise  very 
little  remaining.     In  the  person  of  Sanchoniathon, 
the  Phoenicians  furnish   us  with  a  writer  of  much 
greater  reputed  antiquity.     But  while  some  question 
the  fact  of  his  existence,  the  point  cannot  be  con- 
tested that  there  is  the  greatest  uncertainty  respect- 
ing the   time  in  which  he  lived.     And   the   small 
portion  of  what  he  is  supposed    to  have   written, 
which  remains  to  us,  is  possessed  in  a  manner  very 
indirect.     Philo  Byblos,  who  lived  in  the  second 
century  of  our  era,  professed  to  translate  his  works 
into  Greek.     Porphyry  made  citations  from  them  in 
his  attack  upon  Christianity.     These  were  adverted 
to  with  a  different  object  by  Eusebius,  in  whose 
Preparatio   Evangelica    they  have  come    down   to 
us.     It   is  then  most   unreasonable  to  object  that 


484  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

we  have  not  the  testimony  of  writers  in  neighboring 
nations  to  the  existence  of  the  Pentateuch,  prior  to 
the  Babylonish  captivity.  We  have  in  truth  no 
contemporary  literary  productions  of  those  nations  ; 
and  if  this  be  the  fact  respecting  these  ancient 
divisions  of  the  human  race,  it  is  more  remarkably 
so  in  relation  to  the  Greeks,  whose  civilization,  al- 
though high,  and  arts  and  learning,  admirable,  were 
yet  comparatively  of  a  recent  date.  Concerning 
them,  indeed,  we  cannot  express  ourselves  in  terms 
more  appropriate,  than  those  used  by  Josephus  in 
his  treatise  against  Apion.  He  observes  that  many 
are  so  superstitiously  attached  to  the  Greeks,  as  to 
regard  them  as  the  very  oracles  of  history,  and  then 
proceeds  to  remark,  "  we  shall  find  nothing  among 
them  that  is  not  novel,  I  mean  with  respect  to  the 
building  of  their  cities,  the  invention  of  their  arts 
and  the  description  of  their  laws  ;  the  writing  of 
history  is  of  very  late  date  among  them  ;  whereas, 
by  their  own  confession,  the  Egyptians,  Chaldeans, 
and  Phoenicians  (to  say  nothing  of  ourselves)  have 
from  time  to  time  recorded  and  transmitted  to  pos- 
terity memorials  of  past  ages  in  monumental  pillars 
and  inscriptions."  "  Their  bare  pretence  to  the 
knowledge  of  letters  is  of  a  late  date.  The  an- 
tiquity of  which  they  boast,  goes  no  farther  back 
than  the  Phoenicians,  and  they  value  themselves  on 
the  reputation  of  having  had  Cadmus  for  their  first 
master.  But  so  far  are  they  from  being  able  to 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  485 

produce,  either  in  their  temples  or  public  registers, 
any  one  authentic  memorial  of  these  times,  that 
when  it  came  to  be  propounded  as  a  question, 
whether  the  use  of  letters  was  so  much  as  known  at 
the  time  of  the  Trojan  war,  it  was  carried  in  the 
negative.  It  is  universally  acknowledged  that  there 
is  no  Greek  manuscript  in  date  antecedent  to  the 
poems  of  Homer.  Nor  has  it  been  admitted  that 
Homer  ever  committed  this  production  to  writing. 
The  prevailing  opinion  runs,  that  it  passed  like  a 
kind  of  ballad  which  the  people  committed  to 
memory,  till  in  the  end  copies  were  taken  from 
oral  dictation."* 


SECTION    VII. 

The  Pentateuch  not  fabricated  in  an  age  subsequent  to  that  of  Moses. 

A  RAPID  sketch  having  been  thus  given  of  the 
argument  by  which  the  reference  of  the  Pentateuch 
to  Moses,  as  its  author,  is  in  our  apprehension  com- 
pletely justified;  it  remains  that  a  single  considera- 
tion be  urged,  which  respects  the  great  difficulty, 
amounting  under  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
almost  to  an  impossibility,  of  palming  upon  the 

*  Whiston's  Josephus,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  364.    New  York,  1824. 


486  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Jewish  nation  in  any  age  subsequent  to  that  of  their 
lawgiver,  such  a  book  as  the  one  in  question,  pro- 
vided it  were  a  fabrication.  Upon  the  contents  of 
that  book  rested  their  whole  political,  civil,  and 
religious  constitution.  Their  sacred  rites,  their 
municipal  regulations,  their  domestic  institutions, 
were  all  connected  with  events  detailed  in  the  his- 
tory which  it  contains.  This  production  purports 
to  be  the  most  ancient  record  of  the  nation.  Let 
us  then  suppose  that  at  any  period  comparatively 
modern,  it  had  first  made  its  appearance.  Could 
the  existing  generation  have  been  made  to  believe, 
that  what  then  first  came  to  their  knowledge  had 
existed  as  a  sacred  and  highly  valued  production, 
the  directory  of  their  ceremonial  worship  and  the 
measure  of  their  moral  obligations.  And  had  such 
an  incident  occurred,  would  there  not  have  been 
some  discussion  respecting  it,  and  might  we  not  ex- 
pect to  find  some  traces  of  it  in  their  history.  But 
here  our  adversary  supposes  himself  to  have  actually 
met  our  requisition,  and  points  to  the  age  of  Josiah 
as  the  period,  and  to  the  High  Priest  Hilkiah  as  the 
author  of  the  alleged  forgery.  I  shall  not  pause  to 
inquire  how  this  hypothesis  consists  with  the  other, 
so  zealously  labored  throughout  the  pamphlet,  which 
regards  Ezra  as  the  fabricator  of  the  Pentateuch,  but 
attempt,  as  briefly  as  may  be,  to  meet  the  difficulty 
involved  in  the  objection. 

The  circumstances  of  the  case  were  briefly  these. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  487 

During  the  repairs  of  the  temple,  undertaken  in  the 
reign  of  Josiah,  the  High  Priest  Hilkiah,  is  reported 
to  have  "  found  a  book  of  the  law  of  the  Lord  given 
by  Moses."  This  was  by  him  delivered  to  Shaphan 
the  scribe,  who  carried  it  to  the  king  and  read  it  in 
his  presence.  The  king  was  affected  in  an  extra- 
ordinary manner  by  its  contents — he  rent  his  clothes, 
and  directed  a  reference  to  be  made  to  some  au- 
thorized interpreter  of  the  will  of  Jehovah,  to  ascer- 
tain what  should  be  done  in  view  of  the  sins  of  the 
people,  and  the  judgments,  in  consequence,  impend- 
ing over  them.  Two  inferences  have  been  drawn 
from  this  narrative  by  De  Wette,  Volney,  and  others. 
That  the  king  and  the  principal  ministers  of  religion, 
as  well  as  of  state,  had  never  seen  the  book  in  ques- 
tion before,  and  that  it  was  therefore  a  fabrication 
of  Hilkiah.  The  former  supposition  may  have  been 
correct,  without  involving  the  truth  of  the  latter. 
Let  us  then  inquire  what  probability  distinguishes 
the  one  or  the  other.  Now  let  it  be  observed,  first, 
that  there  must  have  been  an  acquaintance  with  the 
fact  that  there  had  been  a  book  of  the  law  given  by 
Moses.  There  is  manifestly  a  reference  to  some- 
thing known  to  have  existed,  but  of  which  they  had 
perhaps  not  recently  been  in  possession.  The  case 
might  be  an  analogous  one  to  that  of  Cicero's  treatise 
De  Republica,  which  he  was  known  to  have  com- 
posed, but  which  was  for  a  time  lost  to  the  world, 


488  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

being    recovered    only   about   twelve   years   since, 
through  the  researches  of  the  Abbe  Mai. 

The  only  difficulty  then,  in  the  instance  now  in 
question,  is  the  conceiving  how  a  book  of  such  a 
character  should  have  been  so  completely  lost,  even 
among  those  whom  we  should  most  reasonably  ex- 
pect to  possess  it.  In  the  reign  of  Jehoshaphat,  be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred  years  previously,  it 
existed,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the  very  same 
writer  who  records  its  discovery  by  Hilkiah.  This 
pious  king  is  represented,  2  Chron.  xvii.  8 — 9,  as 
commissioning  certain  princes,  Levites,  and  priests, 
"  who  taught  in  Judah,  and  had  the  book  of  the  law 
of  the  Lord  with  them,  and  went  about  through  all 
the  cities  of  Judah  and  taught  the  people."  Had  this 
book  then  entirely  disappeared  in  the  age  of  Josiah, 
or  was  there  something  merely  in  the  particular  copy 
found,  which  produced  so  deep  an  impression  upon 
the  mind  of  the  young  king  ?  Was  it  the  autograph 
of  Moses,  the  very  copy  which  he  was  directed  to 
lay  up  beside  the  ark  of  the  covenant  ?  Did  this 
circumstance,  in  connection  with  the  high  degree  of 
national  guilt  which  had  been  incurred,  and  of  the 
perilous  condition  of  the  kingdom,  give  to  such 
menaces  of  divine  judgments,  as  are  contained  in 
Deuteronomy,  an  import  far  more  alarming?  A 
degree  of  probability  is  attached  to  this  supposition 
by  a  view  of  the  phraseology  of  the  passage  in 
Chronicles — "  Hilkiah  found  a  book  of  the  law  of 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  489 

the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses" — so  it  is  in  the 
Hebrew,  as  indicated  by  a  note  in  the  margin  of  our 
Bible,  although  the  translation  in  the  text  is,  "given 
by  Moses." 

But  it  may  have  been  that  copies  of  the  law  had 
become  exceedingly  scarce,  especially  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  court,  and  among  those  who  had  been  ex- 
posed to  its  influence  during  the  preceding  reigns. 
Manasseh,  one  of  the  worst  sovereigns  who  had 
ever  occupied  the  throne  of  David,  had  during  fifty- 
five  years  labored  to  efface  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  religion  and  to  introduce  an  idolatrous  worship. 
Amon,  his  son,  pursued  a  similar  course.  Josiah 
succeeded  to  the  kingdom  when  but  a  child,  and 
early  exhibited  the  best  dispositions  ;  and  it  was  in 
the  eighteenth  year  of  his  reign  and  the  twenty- 
sixth  of  his  age,  at  the  beginning  of  the  reformation 
which  he  undertook,  that  a  copy  of  the  law  was 
found  in  the  temple.  The  Rabbins  say  that  Ahaz, 
Manasseh  and  Amon  endeavored  to  destroy  all  the 
copies  of  the  law,  and  that  this  was  only  saved  by 
having  been  buried  under  a  paving  stone.  This 
may  or  may  not  have  been  the  case.  We  can, 
however,  scarcely  doubt  that  in  the  remoter  parts  of 
the  kingdom,  and  among  the  more  pious  portion  of 
the  people,  there  were  other  copies  secured  and 
cherished,  ready  to  be  brought  to  light  at  a  more 
auspicious  era.  But  let  us  admit  that  the  volume 
discovered  by  the  High  Priest,  was  the  only  one  of 
62 


490  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

the  kind  existing  in  the  kingdom  of  Judah  ;  the 
question  arises,  was  there  any  thing  in  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  to  justify  the  suspicion,  or 
sustain  by  adequate  proof,  the  fact  that  Hilkiah 
fabricated  the  work  which  he  professed  to  have 
found.  Our  author  thinks  that  there  was.  He 
supposes  that  Hilkiah  had  enlisted  his  pupil,  the 
young  king,  in  support  of  the  Jewish  priests  against 
the  priests  of  Baal,  and  as  the  Jews  knew  nothing 
of  the  law  of  Moses,  something  of  the  kind  was 
necessary  as  a  system  of  religious  ceremonies.  He 
composed  a  book  of  the  law,  and  pretended  to  have 
found  it,  after  binding  the  workmen  to  secrecy. 
Now  observe  a  glaring  inconsistency  in  this  passage 
itself:  He  refers  to  the  existence  of  Jewish  priests, 
and  yet  supposes  that  they  had  no  system  of  reli- 
gious ceremonies,  until  one  was  constructed  for 
them  on  the  present  occasion.  Again,  this  sup- 
position is  directly  opposed  to  his  own  admission, 
page  26  of  his  pamphlet.  In  reply  to  the  argument 
that  the  laws  of  the  Jews,  appealed  to  throughout 
the  Old  Testament,  are  the  same  as  those  contained 
in  the  Pentateuch,  he  answers,  "  granted  ;  they  are 
a  part  of  the  oral  law  recited  to  the  people."  Here 
then  is  an  acknowledgment  that  their  laws  and 
observances  were,  by  means  of  tradition,  known  to 
the  Jews  through  every  period  of  their  history. 
There  was  therefore  no  occasion  for  the  High  Priest 
to  fabricate  them,  although  he  might  commit  them 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  491 

to  writing.  But  to  our  main  question — As  already 
observed,  we  know  from  the  testimony  of  the  same 
writer,  who  records  the  discovery  of  the  book  of  the 
law,  that  a  document  bearing  that  name  had  been 
employed  for  the  instruction  of  the  people,  several 
hundred  years  previously.  We  are  also  apprised, 
from  numerous  passages  in  the  historical  and  pro- 
phetical writings  of  the  Jews,  that  this  book  had 
been  at  various  periods  well  know7n>  and  recognized 
as  the  production  of  Moses.  And  it  does  not  appear 
that  Josiah  was  at  all  surprised  at  the  finding  of 
such  a  book,  but  simply  was  appalled  at  a  portion 
of  its  contents,  which  may  have  been  unknown  to 
him,  while  he  possessed  a  general  acquaintance  with 
its  religious  system  and  code  of  laws.  The  matter 
then  to  be  determined  is — Was  this  ancient  doc- 
ument the  one  produced  by  the  High  Priest,  or  did 
he  in  the  room  of  it  substitute  something  of  his 
own  ?  The  latter  supposition  is  utterly  incredible. 
We  have  already  considered  the  strong  evidence 
which  sustains  the  belief  that  the  Samaritan  Pen- 
tateuch existed,  independently  of  that  possessed  by 
the  Jews,  at  a  period  long  anterior  to  the  one  now 
under  view  ;  and  this  seems  an  insuperable  objection 
to  the  hypothesis  I  am  combating.  But  could 
Hilkiah  have  written  in  a  style  so  antique  ?  Had 
he  ever  affected  the  use  of  archaisms,  the  occasional 
occurrence  of  words  belonging  to  the  language  of  a 


492  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

more  modern  age,  would  have  betrayed  him.*  He 
could  not,  moreover,  have  possessed  the  qualifi- 
cations manifestly  necessary  for  writing  such  a  book 
as  the  Pentateuch.  He  had  not  the  requisite 
knowledge  of  Egypt,  as  respects  its  manners  and 
institutions  and  physical  character.  He  could  not 
have  been  so  well  acquainted  with  Arabia  and  its 
localities.  And  upon  the  supposition  that  from  pre- 
existing materials  he  compiled  the  book  which  he 
palmed  upon  the  Jewish  nation  as  the  work  of 
Moses,  the  following  objections  present  themselves, 
as  observed  by  Jahn  :  "  1st,  He  would  not  have 
arranged  them  in  the  manner  of  a  diary,  following 
the  order  of  time,  so  as  to  introduce,  now  a  law, 
then  a  historical  fact,  and  then  again  a  law.  2nd, 
He  would  not  have  repeated  some  laws  as  often 
as  they  were  published  ;  or  3d,  He  would  have 
omitted  in  the  former  parts  of  the  work,  the  laws 
which  are  altered  in  Deuteronomy  ;  nor  would  he, 
4th,  after  having  previously  given  a  minute  de- 
scription of  the  tabernacle,  and  of  all  its  parts  and 
utensils,  have  repeated  that  minute  description  when 
he  recorded  its  completion."  These  considerations, 
which  induce  us  to  reject  the  opinion  that  the  "  book 
of  the  law  "  was  either  fabricated  or  re-written  by 
Hilkiah,  are  equally  conclusive  against  the  suppo- 


*  The  alleged  anachronisms  which  may  be  regarded  as  something 
of  this  nature  will  be  presently  considered. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  493 

sition  of  its  being  forged  or  re-modelled  by  any 
other  writer  who  lived  in  an  age  subsequent  to  that 
of  Moses.  Whatever  conjectures  may  be  formed, 
or  whatever  possibilities  imagined,  we  have  no 
hesitation  in  appealing  to  enlightened  and  candid 
inquirers,  to  determine,  whether  the  greatest  im- 
probability is  not  attached  to  them  ;  and  whether 
the  Mosaic  origin  of  the  Pentateuch  is  not  sustained 
by  as  high  a  degree  of  evidence,  as,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case,  could  be  expected  or  desired. 
It  is  the  height  of  absurdity  to  require,  in  literary 
discussions  of  this  kind,  the  same  quality  and 
amount  of  proof  as  is  demanded  to  substantiate 
recent  transactions  in  ordinary  courts  of  justice. 
But  there  are  many  grave  objections  made  to  the 
proposition  which  I  have  been  endeavoring  to  main- 
tain, which  call  for  a  patient  examination  in  order 
to  their  satisfactory  solution.  The  attempt  to 
furnish  this  will  be  made  in  some  succeeding 
sections. 


SECTION    VIII. 

First  objection  to  the  genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch — Alleged 
anachronisms. 

WHEN  there  are  found  in  any  book,  evident  allu- 
sions to  the  circumstances  of  a  later  age ;  when,  for 


494  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

instance,  places  are  designated  by  names  different 
from  those  originally  borne  ;  when  institutions,  the 
growth  of  times  more  modern  are  mentioned  ;  or 
when  acquaintance  is  implied  with  arts  not  known 
to  the  supposed  author,  there  is  so  far  a  presumption 
furnished  against  the  genuineness  of  that  book. 
Yet  it  is  a  presumption  more  or  less  violent,  which 
may  be  neutralized  or  overthrown  by  other  manifest 
considerations.  These  parts  may  be  shown  to  be 
excrescences  on  the  original  work  ;  their  origin 
may  be  clearly  accounted  for,  or  if  not,  they  may 
in  general  be  referred  to  that  liability  to  glosses  and 
interpolations  to  which  all  works  derived  from  a 
very  remote  period  are  subject.  Concerning  the 
anachronisms  alleged  to  exist  in  the  Pentateuch, 
there  has  been,  at  various  times,  much  discussion. 
Our  author  has  entered  into  the  subject  largely  and 
repeatedly.  He  represents  the  case  in  the  instance 
under  view,  as  one  of  the  most  aggravated  kind  ; 
the  interpolations  and  text  being  undistinguishably 
blended,  so  that  no  confidence  whatever  can  be 
reposed  in  such  a  book.  A  most  unfair  coloring  is 
also  given  to  the  whole  controversy,  by  the  repre- 
sentation, that  his  antagonists  assume,  without  any 
proof,  that  Moses  wrote  the  Pentateuch,  and  then, 
with  an  equal  want  of  evidence,  regard  every  thing 
occurring  in  it  incompatible  with  this  hypothesis,  as 
the  consequence  of  interpolation.  Whereas  the 
true  state  of  the  case  is  this  : — Here  is  a  book 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  495 

possessing  very  strong  proofs  of  genuineness — such 
evidence  as  we  cannot  resist.  Occasionally  there 
is  something  occurring,  which  could  not  have  been 
written  by  the  supposed  author.  What  is  the  con- 
clusion which  we  are  bound  to  adopt  ? — That  the 
whole  work  is  spurious  ?  Certainly  not.  The 
entire  genius  and  conformation  of  the  production 
prove  the  reverse.  What  remains  ?  We  determine 
that  in  some  way  or  other  these  passages  have  been 
introduced  into  the  original  text.  Now,  in  obviating 
the  difficulties  of  the  objector,  it  is  necessary  to 
inquire — What  is  the  character  and  amount  of  these 
anachronisms  which  are  so  much  spoken  of?  Are 
they  intentional  corruptions  ?  Are  they  so  inca- 
pable of  being  distinguished  from  the  original  text 
as  to  cast  a  suspicion  over  the  whole  work  ? 

In  respect  to  the  inquiry,  concerning  the  number 
of  alleged  anachronisms,  we  shall  find,  that  admit- 
ting them  to  the  full  extent,  they  are  not  consid- 
erable ;  and  if  we  take  away  those  which  are 
doubtful,  or  which  can  be  shown  not  to  belong  to 
this  class,  they  are  still  less  worthy  of  note.  It 
was  not  left  for  the  enemies  of  Revelation  to  detect 
these.  The  Rabbins  had,  at  an  early  period, 
distinguished  eighteen  instances  of  what  they  sup- 
posed to  be  additions  to  the  text,  posterior  to  the 
age  of  Moses.  Christian  writers  had  also  referred 
to  the  same  subject.  It  is  believed,  however,  that 
many  of  these  passages  do  not  necessarily  involve 


496  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

the  supposition  of  a  more  recent  origin,  than  that  of 
the  body  of  the  work.  Let  us  consider  a  few  of 
them.  In  Gen.  xii.  6,  it  is  said  that  when  Abraham 
first  entered  Palestine,  "  the  Canaanite  was  then 
in  the  land."  This  is  supposed  to  mean  that  the 
original  inhabitants  had  not  yet  been  expelled  by  the 
Israelites,  and  of  course  to  imply  that  the  writer 
of  the  passage  lived  at  a  time  when  this  had  been 
done.  But  neither  is  this  interpretation,  nor  this 
inference,  unquestionable.  It  is  well  known  that 
Palestine  was  not  the  first  seat  of  the  Canaanites, 
that  they  came  from  Arabia,  and  that  all  which  the 
sacred  writer  meant  to  indicate,  was  that  even  at 
that  early  period  this  migration  had  taken  place — 
they  were  then  in  the  land. 

The  next  passage  which  we  may  consider  is 
Gen.  xxii.  14.  "  As  it  is  said  to  this  day,  in  the 
mount  of  the  Lord,  it  shall  be  seen."  Mount 
Moriah,  which  is  here  meant,  was  not  so  denomi- 
nated, until  the  building  of  the  temple,  several 
hundred  years  afterwards — it  is  therefore  supposed 
that  this  expression  could  not  have  been  used  by 
Moses,  but  by  some  writer  long  subsequently  to  his 
age.  But  respecting  this  passage  we  need  expe- 
rience no  difficulty.  It  is  susceptible  of  an  inter- 
pretation, and,  indeed,  according  to  the  just 
principles  of  interpretation,  requires  it,  which  is 
entirely  consistent  with  the  fact  of  its  genuineness. 
With  no  view  to  the  present  exigency,  there  have 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  497 

been  several  translations  given  of  what  is  confes- 
sedly a  different  passage.  Houbigant  and  others 
had  rendered  it  "In  monte,  Deus  videbitur " — In 
the  mount  God  shall  be  seen — supposing  it  to  be  a 
prophetical  annunciation  of  the  future  coming  of 
the  Messiah.  Another  version  adopted  by  Rosen- 
mueler,  is — "  In  monte,  Dei  providebitur,  curabitur, 
prospicietur."  In  the  mount  it  will  be  provided 
for,  cared  for,  or  looked  to  by  God.  According  to 
an  observation  of  Jerome,  it  passed  into  a  proverb 
among  the  Hebrews,  if  at  any  time  they  were 
placed  in  distressing  circumstances,  and  hoped  to 
be  delivered  by  the  divine  interposition,  they  said, 
"  In  the  mount,  God  will  provide  ;  as  he  had  com- 
passion on  Abraham,  he  will  pity  us."  We  thus 
perceive  that  the  phrase,  "  Mount  of  the  Lord," 
which  creates  the  whole  difficulty,  does  not  appear 
in  the  passage. 

Another  passage  usually  cited  in  the  discussion  in 
which  we  are  now  engaged,  is  Gen.  xxxvi.  31. 
"  These  are  the  kings  that  reigned  in  Edom,  before 
there  reigned  any  kings  over  the  children  of  Israel." 
It  is  supposed  that  in  two  points  of  view  this  implies 
an  age  posterior  to  Moses.  1.  It  argues  that  there 
were  kings  reigning  over  the  children  of  Israel  when 
this  statement  was  made.  2.  It  is  not  to  be  con- 
ceived that  in  the  space  of  between  two  and  three 
hundred  years  which  intervened  between  Esau  and 
Moses,  there  could  have  lived  fourteen  dukes  or 
63 


498  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

phylarchs — then  eight  kings  and  afterwards  eleven 
dukes.  In  reply  to  this,  C.  B.  Michaelis  observes, 
that  the  expression,  "  before  there  reigned  any  king 
over  the  children  of  Israel,"  is  not  at  all  incom- 
patible with  the  age  of  Moses  and  the  circumstances 
of  his  people  at  that  time.  For  both  he  and  they 
were  apprised  by  the  promises  long  since  made 
to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  that  kings  would  at 
a  future  period  reign  over  the  chosen  people  of 
Jehovah.  Gen.  xvii.  5;  xxvi.  3;  xxxv.  11. 

As  regards  the  second  objection,  it  is  replied — 
that  it  is  affirmed  upon  insufficient  grounds  that  the 
Idumseans  had  three  forms  of  government,  at 
several  times  existing  among  them ;  that  their 
dukes  were  the  heads  or  princes  of  families,  not 
existing  successively  but  contemporaneously ;  that 
they  and  the  kings  lived  simultaneously,  as  appears 
from  Num.  xx.  14,  compared  with  Ex.  xv.  15  ;  in 
the  latter  it  being  said  that  Moses  sent  ambassadors 
to  the  kings  of  Edom  ;  in  the  former  the  dukes  of 
the  same  country  being  represented  as  in  conster- 
nation at  the  approach  of  the  Israelites.  Besides, 
in  forming  our  judgment  respecting  the  catalogue  of 
the  Idumaean  kings,  it  will  be  important  to  consider 
that  they  did  not  exist  according  to  hereditary 
succession,  but  were  elevated  to  power  either  by 
election  or  violence.  Among  the  kings  enumerated, 
we  do  not  find  one  who  had  a  son  as  his  successor. 
Nor  were  foreigners  excluded  from  the  succession, 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  499 

as  is  apparent  from  the  different  cities  and  countries 
mentioned  in  the  table  of  those  who  successively 
bore  the  regal  title.  These  cities  and  countries 
must  have  been  the  places  of  their  birth,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  extremely  improbable  that  eight  rulers,  in 
immediate  succession,  should  each  have  chosen  a 
different  metropolis  for  his  kingdom.  In  a  mon- 
archy then,  such  as  the  one  just  described,  we 
might  expect  shorter  reigns  and  a  more  rapid  suc- 
cession of  those  who  held  the  supreme  power,  than 
under  one  differently  constituted  ;  arid  since  dukes 
and  kings  appear  to  have  existed  together,  it  is 
easily  conceivable  that  eight  of  the  latter  might 
have  lived  in  the  space  of  time  allotted  to  them.* 
This  interpretation  of  his  father,  the  younger  and 
more  celebrated  Michaelis  has  adopted. 

But  again,  the  expression  occurring  Ex.  xvi.  36, 
"  Now  an  omer  is  the  tenth  part  of  an  epha,"  is 
supposed  to  furnish  unequivocal  evidence  of  a 
modern  age,  inasmuch  as  it  is  not  customary  to  de- 
fine measures  while  still  in  use.  To  this,  however, 
Le  Clerc  forcibly  replies — "  It  does  not  appear  that 
the  Hebrews  ever  used  any  measures,  while  in 
Palestine,  different  from  their  original  ones,  so  that 
it  might  become  necessary  to  define  these  ;  nor  can 
it  be  shown  that  an  epha  was  any  better  known 

*  The  average  of  the  reigns  of  the  Roman  Emperors,  was  ten 
years. 


500  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

than  an  omer.  Yet  Moses  who  founded  the  Jewish 
commonwealth,  inserted  here  and  there,  the  fit  oc- 
casions being  given,  something  respecting  their 
measures,  lest  at  a  future  period  they  should  be 
changed." 

I  shall  particularly  consider  no  other  passage, 
although  many  more,  which  are  usually  regarded  as 
additions  to  the  text,  might  be  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained. What  has  already  been  done,  is  sufficient 
to  show  that  the  number  of  texts  calculated  to  pro- 
duce difficulty,  inconsiderable  upon  the  largest 
enumeration,  may  be  much  reduced.  Of  the  por- 
tions of  the  Pentateuch  really  belonging  to  a  sub- 
sequent age,  we  may  reckon  as  the  most  important, 
being  by  far  the  most  extensive,  the  last  chapter  of 
Deuteronomy.  Others  consist  in  the  substitution, 
on  a  few  occasions,  of  the  modern  name  of  a  place 
for  one  more  ancient.  Some  are  of  such  a  character 
as  the  following  : — Ex.  xvi.  35 — "  And  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  eat  manna  forty  years."  This  term 
had  not  expired  at  the  death  of  Moses ;  it  is  there- 
fore concluded  that  he  could  not  have  written  it. 
This  inference  is,  however,  by  no  means  inevitable. 
He  might  have  recorded  it,  immediately  before  his 
death,  when  the  period  indicated  was  so  near  its 
expiration  as  to  justify  the  expression.  But  we 
have  no  occasion  to  insist  on  this  consideration. 

Now  the  appeal  is  confidently  made  to  every  man 
of  candor  and  reflection,  whether  a  very  few  passa- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  501 

ges  of  this  kind  occurring  in  an  ancient  book, 
furnish  any  evidence  against  its  genuineness,  or 
show  it  to  be  so  corrupted  as  to  be  undeserving  of 
any  regard ;  or  whether  these  interpolations  are  so 
undistinguishably  blended  with  the  text,  as  to  cast 
a  suspicion  over  the  whole  work.  It  is  quite  easy 
to  conceive  how  these  passages  might  have  been 
introduced,  without  the  least  censure  being  attached 
to  the  author  of  them,  or  the  least  uncertainty  being 
produced  as  to  the  genuineness  of  the  residue  of 
the  work.  The  last  chapter  of  Deuteronomy  might 
very  well  have  been  added  by  any  successor  of  the 
Hebrew  lawgiver,  who  wished  to  complete  the 
account  of  his  eventful  life.  The  substitution  of  a 
few  modern  for  the  ancient  names  of  places,  or  an 
explanatory  remark,  from  being  a  marginal  gloss, 
might  readily  pass  into  the  text,  perhaps  with  some 
distinguishing  mark,  which  through  the  negligence 
of  scribes  was  afterwards  omitted.  Or,  according 
to  the  much  ridiculed  theory,  these  additions  might 
have  originated  in  the  Esdrine  edition  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  been  intended  for  their  illustration. 
There  is  a  large  class  of  passages,  to  which  I 
have  as  yet  made  no  reference,  which  Dr.  C., 
following  De  Wette,  regards  as  anachronisms. 
Every  instance  of  a  prophetical  declaration  is  so 
esteemed.  For  example,  predictions  made  respect- 
ing the  future  condition  of  the  Israelites,  to  which 
the  event  corresponded,  are  supposed  to  furnish,  in 


502  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

themselves,  evidence  that  they  were  not  delivered 
until  after  that  event.  Now  were  we  to  meet,  in 
any  narrative  of  facts,  a  notice  of  occurrences  as 
then  taking  place,  which  belonged  to  a  later  period, 
we  should  regard  as  highly  absurd  a  solution  of  the 
difficulty  thus  presented,  by  the  supposition  of  an 
insight  into  futurity.  But  very  different  from  this 
is  the  case  of  a  man,  who  professing  to  possess  the 
spirit  of  prophecy,  makes  a  reference  to  the  events 
of  a  coming  age,  as  yet  future,  but  destined  certainly 
to  occur.  When  an  illustrious  individual,  such  as 
the  dying  patriarch  Jacob,  or  Moses  himself,  when 
his  end  was  approaching,  undertakes  to  foretell  the 
future  destiny  of  his  children  or  people,  is  the  fact 
that  the  prediction  made,  corresponded  to  their 
actual  subsequent  condition,  conclusive  proof  that 
such  prediction  was  fabricated  after  the  event  ? 
Should  we  not  rather  inquire  whether  it  were 
within  the  competency  of  human  sagacity  to  have 
foreseen  what  occurred,  or  whether  there  might 
not  have  been  some  fortunate,  although  accidental 
coincidence.  If  neither  of  these  suppositions  were 
admissible,  would  it  not  be  incumbent  upon  us  to 
consider  whether  the  Supreme  Being  may  not  have 
lifted  up  the  vail  covering  futurity  for  the  consola- 
tion of  a  good  man,  or  for  the  confirmation  of  a 
great  system  of  moral  and  religious  truth,  designed, 
in  the  first  place,  to  benefit  a  whole  nation,  and 
eventually  all  mankind. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  503 

Our  author  speaks  with  contempt  of  Prof.  Stuart's 
remark,  that  such  portions  of  the  Pentateuch  as 
those  last  referred  to,  cannot  with  propriety  be 
denied  to  have  been  written  by  Moses,  since  no  one 
can  prove  that  he  did  not  possess  a  prophetical 
spirit.  And  yet  the  remark  is  perfectly  just.  This 
is  the  very  question  upon  which  we  are  at  issue. 
The  unbeliever  has  no  right  to  assume  that  his 
theory  is  correct ;  although  it  is  competent  for  him 
to  advance  reasons  in  its  favor.  The  Jewish  system 
professes  to  be  of  divine  origin.  Its  claim  is  to  be 
substantiated  by  the  miracles  wrought  in  attestation 
of  it,  or  by  the  predictions  proceeding  from  those 
who  taught  it.  Whether  such  miracles  were 
wrought,  or  such  predictions  made,  is  a  suitable 
subject  of  inquiry.  The  evidence  offered  may  be 
thoroughly  sifted  by  the  skeptic,  but  surely  it  out- 
rages all  propriety  to  take  it  for  granted  that  proph- 
ecy is  impossible,  and  then  to  assume,  with  no 
respect  to  other  considerations,  and  even  in  defiance 
of  the  strongest  proof,  that  all  predictions  occurring 
in  any  book,  are  either  interpolations  or  conclusive 
evidence  of  the  spuriousness  of  the  entire  work. 
This  view  of  the  subject  is  correct  under  any  cir- 
cumstances. But  surely  it  will  not  be  denied  that 
there  is  some  peculiarity  attached  to  the  Jewish 
system  and  sacred  books,  which  might  induce  the 
expectation,  that  traces  of  divine  power  and  knowl- 
edge should  be  there  recognized  which  are  not  seen 


504  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

elsewhere.  In  their  own  character,  in  the  degree 
and  nature  of  the  evidence  which  sustains  them,  and 
in  the  religious  and  moral  system  which  they  teach, 
they  are  surely  widely  removed  from  all  competition 
on  the  part  of  works,  reputedly  sacred,  existing  in 
any  other  nation.  Besides,  Judaism  is  intimately 
connected  with  a  more  perfect  and  extensively  dif- 
fused modification  of  religious  belief,  prevailing  over 
the  only  enlightened  part  of  the  earth,  and  sup- 
ported by  the  most  ample  proof,  which  can  be 
brought  more  immediately  under  our  view,  being 
blended  with  the  transactions  of  a  more  recent  age. 
If  to  the  decision  of  Christianity  any  authority  is  to 
be  conceded,  a  divine  origin  must  be  ascribed  to  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  occurrence 
of  prophetical  passages  in  them  may  reasonably  be 
expected. 

The  result  then  of  the  observations  proposed  in 
the  present  section  may  be  thus  stated : 

I.  The  reference  of  the  Pentateuch  to  Moses  as 
its   author   is   sustained    by   the    most   convincing 
evidence. 

II.  Of  various  passages,  supposed  to  be  inconsis- 
tent with  this  theory,  many  are  susceptible  of  an 
explanation  entirely  satisfactory. 

III.  Of  those    which    remain,    none    are    to   be 
regarded  as   intentional   corruptions,   nor   do   they 
attach    any   uncertainty    to    the    text   in  general. 
They  are  either  to  be  accounted  for  upon  the  sup- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  505 

position  of  the  accidental  transfer  of  a  marginal 
note  into  the  body  of  the  work  ;  or  to  be  referred 
to  some  subsequent  authorized  writer,  whose  object 
has  been  either  to  complete  what  was  deficient  or 
illustrate  what  is  obscure. 

IV.  It  is  a  manifest  begging  of  the  question  to 
regard  as  interpolations  the  numerous  prophetical 
passages  which  are  found  in  these  writings. 


SECTION   IX. 

Second  objection  to  the  genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch. — Passages 
incompatible  with  the  actual  circumstances  of  the  reputed  author. 
— Deut.  i.  1.  Meaning  of  the  Hebrew  word  "Oy  (eber,)  and  the 
Greek  Ilsqav.  (Peran.) 

. 

THE  prosecution  of  a  simple  philological  inquiry, 
would  not  seem  to  furnish  any  occasion,  or  present 
much  inducement,  to  indulge  in  vituperation  against 
one's  adversaries.  Yet  is  this  reasonable  expecta- 
tion disappointed  in  the  instance  of  our  author,  whose 
advanced  age,  long  subjection  to  the  softening  influ- 
ences of  literary  cultivation,  and  abundant  profes- 
sions of  being  actuated  solely  by  the  love  of  truth 
and  a  regard  to  the  happiness  of  mankind,  would 
seem  to  authorize  the  hope,  that  he  would  form  a 
candid  and  just,  if  not  a  liberal  and  generous  esti- 
mate of  the  character  and  motives  of  his  opponents. 
64 


506  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

The  critical  discussion  in  which  we  are  now  about 
to  follow  him,  is  closed,  on  his  part,  with  a  long  and 
virulent  invective,  to  which  there  are  too  many 
parallels  throughout  the  work  upon  which  I  am  com- 
menting. The  "  clerical  profession  is  denounced  as 
one  that  renders  impartial  examination  a  crime,  and 
which  requires  those  who  adopt  it,  to  insist  on  as 
true,  what  no  man,  who  is  a  searcher  for  truth  alone, 
can  possibly  accept  as  truth."  It  is  said  to  be 
"  disgusting  to  observe  the  virulence  of  clerical  re- 
proaches made  against  those  whom  they  are  pleased 
to  denominate  c  infidels.' '  These  latter  persons  are 
represented  as  "  braving  the  reproaches  of  the  in- 
terested, the  lamentations  of  the  hypocrite,  and  the 
fierce  bigotry  of  the  ignorant  dupe  of  an  interested 
clergy."  We  who  are  "  hired,"  and  paid,  and 
salaried  witnesses  in  favor  of  the  cause  by  which 
we  get  our  living,  are  admonished  to  recollect  "  that 
the  day  has  passed  by  when  infidels  and  infidelity 
may  be  made  with  impunity  the  hated  subjects  of 
clerical  abuse."  "  The  clerical  craft  is  in  danger, 
and  the  members  of  the  church  militant  will  do  well 
to  hasten  to  the  rescue,  better  armed  than  they  have 
hitherto  been."  "  The  glove  is  thrown  down  before 
them,  let  those  who  choose  take  it  up."  A  defiance 
given  quite  in  the  forms  of  the  ancient  institution  of 
chivalry  !  Pity  it  were  that  more  of  knightly  honor 
and  courtesy  had  not  been  shown  in  the  management 
of  the  combat !  The  gauntlet  has  for  a  considerable 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  507 

time  lain  untouched,  and  doubtless  the  accomplished 
cavalier,  armed  at  all  points  for  the  conflict,  has 
feared  that,  through  the  recreancy  of  his  adversaries, 
no  farther  opportunity  would  be  furnished  for  the 
exhibition  of  his  prowess.  This  delay  has  arisen 
from  considerations  very  different  from  any  appre- 
hension of  the  issue  of  the  test  being  unfavorable. 
Many  there  are  who  in  the  cause  of  truth,  and  clad 
in  its  impenetrable  panoply,  are  ready  to  meet  at  any 
time  and  on  any  field  their  boastful  assailant.  We 
rejoice  that  the  number  of  those  in  the  Christian 
ranks  who  are  competent  to  do  this,  in  an  effective 
manner,  is  daily  increasing.  Yet  we  regard  with 
surprise  and  pity  the  insinuation  that  revelation  has 
ever  wanted  adequate  defenders.  We  triumphantly 
refer  to  days  that  have  gone  by,  and  challenge  a 
comparison  in  point  of  profound  and  various  learn- 
ing, and  the  powers  of  a  masterly  and  convincing 
argumentation,  between  them  and  their  adversaries. 
That  the  petulance  of  our  author  has  not  been 
sooner  rebuked,  and  his  arguments  earlier  met,  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  his  pamphlet  has  not 
attracted  the  attention  which  he  expected,  and  which 
from  considerations  apart  from  its  intrinsic  merits, 
it  should  have  received.  From  its  title  it  was  sup- 
posed to  relate  merely  to  the  geological  exceptions 
taken  against  the  Mosaic  record.  These,  so  far  as 
any  considerations  drawn  from  a  science  so  largely 
hypothetical,  are  deserving  of  attention,  it  was 


508  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

thought  might  with  propriety  be  referred  to  those 
friends  of  revelation,  whose  pursuits  particularly 
qualified  them  for  this  investigation.  And  in  refer- 
ence to  those,  to  whom  the  character  of  the  produc- 
tion in  question  became  better  known,  it  is  to  be 
observed,  that  in  general  they  deemed  it  unnecessary 
to  renew  a  discussion  which  in  their  apprehension 
had  been  terminated  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  the 
public  mind.  In  this  opinion  it  is  thought  they  erred. 
It  is  not  enough  that  the  enemy  has  been  once  met 
and  vanquished,  the  battle  must  be  renewed  in  every 
age.  As  old  objections  are  revived,  they  must  be 
again  answered.  As  new  modifications  of  errone- 
ous opinions  appear,  they  must  be  exposed  and  re- 
futed. In  the  absence  of  a  worthier  champion,  the 
writer  of  these  essays  has  not  hesitated  to  accept 
the  defiance.  He  is  willing  to  attempt  the  succor 
of  the  beleagured  citadel,  imperfectly  armed  although 
he  may  be.  In  spite  of  the  strong  temptation  to  a 
contrary  course,  he  is  not  conscious  that  he  has  in 
any  degree  indulged  in  personal  invective,  when  he 
should  alone  feel  concerned  to  controvert  the  argu- 
ments of  his  opponent.  He  has  been  solicitous  to 
ascertain  and  vindicate  truth,  and  not  to  render 
odious  either  an  individual  or  a  class. 

Let  us  then  return  from  this  digression,  and  con- 
sider the  objections  to  the  genuineness  of  the  Pen- 
tateuch, founded  on  passages  occurring  in  it,  incom- 
patible with  the  actual  circumstances  or  known 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  509 

sentiments  of  the  reputed  author.  The  first  which 
I  shall  examine  occurs  Deut.  i.  1.  "These  are  the 
words  that  Moses  spake  unto  all  Israel  on  this  side 
Jordan  in  the  wilderness."  To  this  version  Dr. 
Cooper  takes  exception,  asserts  that  it  should  be 
translated  beyond,  on  the  other  side  Jordan,  and 
concludes  that  the  author  of  Deuteronomy  must 
have  lived  on  the  west  of  this  river,  and  that  he 
could  not  therefore  have  been  Moses  who  died  east- 
ward of  it. 

Now  the  question  to  be  determined  is — What  is 
the  proper  rendering  of  -ojn  (be-eber.)  It  will  be 
readily  conceded  that  the  term  is  often  susceptible  of 
the  interpretation  which  it  is  wished  to  attach  to  it 
as  its  sole  and  exclusive  signification.  But  does  it 
not  sometimes,  unquestionably,  mean  on  this  side, 
and  is  there  not  therefore  some  general  idea  involved 
in  the  term,  which  authorizes  its  employment  in  this 
diversified  manner  ?  This  cannot  be  denied.  Our 
author  himself  refers  to  two  passages,  Deut.  iii.  8, 
and  Gen.  i.  10  and  11,  where  the  word  in  question 
must  be  translated  on  this  side ;  but  he  assumes  that 
in  these  instances  it  is  manifestly  misapplied,  re- 
marking that  in  a  book  so  full  of  mistakes  and 
interpolations,  this  may  well  be.  Surely  this  is  a 
summary  mode  of  getting  rid  of  a  critical  difficulty. 
The  signification  of  words  is  determined  by  the 
usage  of  good  writers.  Here  are  two  cases  in 
which  a  particular  meaning  is  necessarily  attached 


510  ESSAY   ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

to  a  term — that  meaning,  however,  is  opposed  to 
what  seems  to  be  indicated  by  other  passages  from 
the  same  writer.  Should  we  not  attempt  an  ex- 
planation of  the  matter  upon  some  other  principle 
than  the  assumption  of  a  corruption  in  one  class  of 
out  texts  ?  Is  it  not  unlikely  that  in  a  production 
of  moderate  length,  two  instances  of  a  precisely 
similar  mistake,  in  writing  a  simple  and  well  known 
term,  should  occur  ?  But  we  have  not  merely  this 
degree  of  improbability  to  contend  against.  There 
are  many  other  passages  not  at  all  alluded  to  by 
Dr.  Cooper,  where  the  original  term  must  be  ren- 
dered on  this  side.  To  these  I  would  solicit  the 
reader's  particular  attention. 

There  is  no  question  that  the  book  of  Joshua  was 
written  after  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  and  of  course 
by  one  living  west  of  Jordan.  In  the  12th  ch.  7th  v. 
of  this  book,  we  find  the  following  passage  :  "  These 
are  the  kings  of  the  country  which  Joshua  and  the 
children  of  Israel  smote  on  this  side  (nay)  Jordan 
on  the  west."  Again,  Joshua  xxii.  7,  it  is  said, 
"  Now  to  the  one  half  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh, 
Moses  had  given  possession  in  Bashan  ;  "  but  unto 
the  other  half  thereof  gave  Joshua  among  their 
brethren,  on  this  side  (-ny)  Jordan  westward.  As 
connected  with  this  we  may  cite  a  remarkable  pas- 
sage in  Numb,  xxxii.  19.  The  two  tribes  and  a 
half,  who  had  received  their  lot  in  the  region  which 
had  been  conquered  east  of  Jordan,  expressed  their 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  511 

determination  to  assist  their  brethren  in  the  conquest 
of  the  remaining  part  of  the  promised  land,  and  then 
to  return  to  their  own  possession — u  For  we  will 
not  inherit  with  them  on  yonder  side  of  Jordan,  or 
forward,  because  our  inheritance  is  fallen  to  us  on 
this  side  Jordan  eastward."  Here  we  have  the 
same  word  in  the  original,  differently  rendered  in 
the  several  parts  of  the  same  sentence.  Other 
passages  I  shall  not  cite  in  full,  but  make  a  simple 
reference  to  them  :  Josh.  v.  1  ;  1  Chron.  xxvi.  30  ; 
Josh.  i.  15;  1  Kings  iv.  24.  Let  the  reader  ex- 
amine them  for  himself,  and  he  will  be  convinced 
that  the  term  in  question  does  mean  on  this  side, 
not  once  or  twice,  but  very  commonly.  But  we  are 
told,  that  in  many  instances  it  has  a  meaning  di- 
rectly opposite,  and  some  ill-timed  pleasantry  is 
indulged  in  on  the  occasion  :  "  This  is  truly  a  most 
convenient  word,  it  means  white  ;  it  means  black  ; 
it  signifies  neither  white  nor  black,  but  any  color 
you  please."  It  will  be  well  for  our  author  to  defer 
his  jesting  until  he  has  accounted  for  the  passages 
above  cited,  and  has  replied  to  the  considerations 
which  I  shall  here  subjoin. 

Is  he  not  then  aware  of  an  instance  analogous  to 
this,  in  the  Latin  word  sacer,  which  at  once  means 
— sacred,  holy,  divine,  and — cursed,  detestable,  hor- 
rible. "  Auri  sacra  fames." — Virgil.  "  Intestabilis 
et  sacer  esto." — Horace.  "  Ego  sum  malus,  ego 
sum  sacer,  scelestus." — Plautus.  Has  not  his  He- 


512  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

brew  erudition  made  him  acquainted  with  the  usage 
respecting  the  word  "pa  (barak,)  which,  according 
to  Gesenius,  means,  1.  To  bless.  2.  To  greet,  or 
salute.  3.  To  take  leave,  renounce,  revile.  1 
Kings  xxi.  10.  "  Thou  hast  reviled  God  and  the 
king."  Job  i.  5.  ;  ii.  5.  Perhaps  also  the  term  1:33, 
(nakar)  has  escaped  the  accuracy  of  his  research, 
which  according  to  the  same  lexicographer  signifies 
not  only  to  understand  but  to  mistake :  not  merely 
to  be  known,  but  to  let  oneself  be  unknown  ;  to 
dissemble.  In  illustration  of  this  peculiarity,  Ge- 
senius refers  to  the  inseparable  German  prepositions 
ent  and  ver,  which  in  composition  sometimes  express 
a  negation  or  antithesis,  sometimes  not. 

I  trust  then  that  the  diverse  significations  ascribed 
to  lay  will  not  seem  so  completely  absurd,  or  so  en- 
tirely without  parallel,  as  they  are  represented  to  be. 
But,  as  has  already  been  suggested,  there  is,  in 
reference  to  all  such  words  as  those  above  cited, 
some  primary  meaning,  from  which  all  other  ac- 
ceptations, however  apparently  unconnected,  nat- 
urally flow.  This  is  clearly  and  beautifully  apparent 
with  respect  to  the  term  T-O-  (barak.)  No  two 
things  seem  more  opposite  than  to  bless,  and  revile 
or  curse,  and  yet  the  transition  from  one  meaning  to 
the  other  is  easily  traced.  1.  It  means  to  bless. 
2.  To  greet  or  salute,  because  on  such  occasions 
persons  speak  well  to  each  other  ;  and  in  primitive 
times  invoked  a  blessing.  3.  To  take  leave,  depart, 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  613 

because  the  same  salutations  were  usual  then,  as 
took  place  at  meeting.  From  parting  amicably,  the 
transition  is  easy  to  a  simple  separation,  then  to  one 
involving  a  renunciation  of  all  friendly  intercourse, 
accompanied  even  by  reproaches. 

Let  us  now  inquire  what  is  the  leading  idea 
expressed  by  i3y  (eber.)  The  radical  iiy  (abar) 
which  is  a  verb,  means  according  to  Gesenius — 1. 
To  pass  on.  2.  To  go  or  pass  through.  3.  To 
pass  by.  4.  To  pass  over.  5.  To  overflow,  spoken 
of  water,  &c.  Here  we  find  the  notion  of  passage 
entirely  the  predominant  one.  This  is  the  fact  also, 
with  respect  to  the  various  explications  quoted  by 
Dr.  C.  from  Davies'  Celtic  Researches.  Is  it  then 
absurd  to  conclude  with  Pagnini,  Arias  Montanus, 
Huet,  and  others,  that  the  fundamental  idea  of  the 
derivative  word  is  "  in  transitu  ?  "  This  idea  is  of 
course  expanded  and  modified  as  we  have  seen  to 
be  the  fact  in  reference  to  certain  other  words  before 
mentioned.  The  statement  of  Rosenmueler  seems 
to  be  entirely  correct.  Scholia  in  Deut.  chap.  i.  1, 
-133;  "  which  properly  denotes  transitum,  trajectum — 
passage — thence  it  is  used  to  denote  all  that  tract 
which  is  washed  by  a  river  or  which  is  divided  by 
water  flowing  in  the  midst  of  it,  whether  this  tract 
be  on  the  one  side  or  the  other."  In  other  words, 
it  denotes  in  its  greatest  amplitude  of  signification 
the  valley  of  any  stream  —  and  the  expression 
•prn  i3j»a  may  well  be  rendered  at,  near,  or  in  the 
65 


514  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

valley  of  Jordan.  It  does  not  occur  to  me  that 
there  is  any  passage  in  which  the  original  word  is 
rendered  beyond,  where  it  will  not  be  equally  well 
expressed  by  the  explanation  given  above.  And 
what  is  very  remarkable,  we  find  this  word  often 
conjoined  with  some  other  phrase  which  more 
definitely  fixes  its  signification.  This  is  to  be  ob- 
served in  the  passage  already  cited  from  Numbers 
xxxii.  19,  where  in  the  different  parts  of  the  same 
sentence,  this  term  has  a  different  sense,  indicated 
by  an  adjunct  expression.  "  For  we  will  not  inherit 
with  them  on  yonder  side  of  Jordan,/orwan/,"  that 
is  westward — the  Israelites  being  advancing  in  that 
direction,  "  because  our  inheritance  is  fallen  to  us  on 
this  side  Jordan,  eastward."  Another  exemplifica- 
tion of  our  principle  is  furnished  by  Deut.  iv.  47, 
49.  Two  kings  of  the  Amorites  are  mentioned  as 
being  "  on  this  side  Jordan  towards  the  sun  rising," 
and  we  have  also  reference  made  "  to  all  the  plain 
on  this  side  Jordan,  eastward."  Again,  in  Joshua 
xii.  27,  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  Gad  is  spoken 
of  by  the  writer  as  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan 
eastward. 

Instances  might  be  multiplied  were  it  necessary. 
These  may  serve  to  show  that  the  term  under  dis- 
cussion, is  not,  in  the  sense  which  we  attach  to  it, 
so  utterly  vague  as  it  is  represented  to  be.  I  have 
hitherto  made  no  reference  to  the  decision  of  any 
lexicographer  respecting  the  meaning  of  the  deriva- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  515 

live  word,  lay,  because  it  is  more  satisfactory  to 
appeal  at  once  to  that  authority,  by  which  all  their 
opinions  must  be  sustained — the  usage  prevailing  in 
the  Hebrew  writings.  Yet  it  may  be  well  to  state 
that  Gesenius  who  assigns  to  our  term,  beyond,  as 
its  leading  signification,  gives  as  his  second  defini- 
tion— "  that  which  is  on  this  side,"  adding  the 
strange  remark  "  as  if  used  by  one  living  on  the 
other  side.5'  He  refers  to  1  Kings,  iv.  24,  in  illus- 
tration. Yet  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  what  this 
text  furnishes  in  support  of  the  limitation  attached 
to  his  explanation.  He  also  takes  no  notice  of  the 
numerous  passages  resembling  the  one  which  he 
cites,  many  of  which  I  have  on  the  present  occasion 
quoted. 

He  gives  us  his  third  definition — "  side,  quarter 
generally ;"  referring  to  1  Samuel,  xiv.  40 — "  on  one 
side,  on  the  other  side  ;"  to  Ex.  xxviii.  26,  "  which 
is  on  the  side  -Dy  of  the  ephod  inward;"  and  to 
Exodus  xxxii.  15 — "  the  tables  were  written  on 
both  their  sides,  on  the  one  side  and  the  other  were 
they  written." 

It  appears  then  to  the  writer  that  we  have  an 
exceedingly  strong  case  made  out,  in  favor  of  the 
signification  which  we  attach  to  the  word  under 
view.  And  in  reviewing  the  evidence  by  which  our 
conclusion  is  supported,  it  is  amazing  to  reflect  on 
the  contemptuous  terms  in  which  it  is  spoken  of  by 


516  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

our  adversary.  Let  us  hear,  however,  what  he  has 
to  allege. 

He  pleads  the  universal  assent  of  the  Jews, 
ancient  and  modern,  that  •vy  means  exclusively 
beyond.  After  observing  the  total  want  of  correct- 
ness, which  marks  Dr.  C.'s  statements  respecting 
the  Jewish  traditions,  which  he  professes  to  derive 
from  Prideaux  and  his  authorities,  the  reader  will 
feel  little  inclination  to  repose  confidence  in  any 
similar,  sweeping  and  unsupported  assertion.  Nor 
will  the  opinion  of  Dr.  C.'s  teacher,  although  he 
may  have  been  a  pupil  of  the  celebrated  Vater,  be 
entitled  to  any  weight  when  contradicted  by  the 
numerous  instances  which  I  have  adduced  of  the 
usus  loquendi  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  writers. 

But  it  is  said  that  the  ancient  versions,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Syriac,  translate  Deut.  i.  1, 
"  beyond  Jordan."  What  are  these  versions  ?  The 
Samaritan  is  spoken  of,  but  in  such  terms,  as  to 
leave  it  doubtful  whether  it  is  regarded  as  a  version 
or  not.  What  is  properly  called  the  Samaritan 
Pentateuch  is  merely  a  document  in  the  Hebrew 
language,  expressed  in  the  ancient  Phoenician  char- 
acter— of  course  we  have  no  translation  of  the 
disputed  word,  but  the  term  itself  differently 
written. 

The  Chaldee,  Septuagint,  Syriac,  Arabic,  and 
Vulgate,  are  the  principal  versions  mentioned. 
The  Vulgate  may  render  the  word  in  question, 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  517 

trans,  and  yet  it  may  be  a  misconception  of  Jerome — 
who  although  one  of  the  greatest  proficients  in 
Hebrew  among  the  early  fathers,  cannot  be  placed 
in  competition  with  the  author  of  the  old  Syriac 
version,  who  spoke  a  cognate  dialect,  and  whose 
interpretation  is  different.  If  the  Chaldee  Targum 
and  Arabic,  do  translate  as  they  are  asserted  to  do, 
it  may  be  that  the  terms  which  they  employ  are 
marked  by  the  same  peculiarity  of  signification, 
which  distinguishes  the  Hebrew  word.  I  am 
inclined  to  suspect  this,  by  the  consideration  that 
this  is  demonstrably  the  case  with  regard  to  the 
Septuagint,  which  is  cited  as  sustaining  the  view  of 
our  adversary,  neqav,  according  to  classical  usage, 
certainly  means  "  beyond  ;"  but  what  is  its  signifi- 
cation according  to  that  peculiar  modification  of  the 
Greek  language,  which  appears  in  the  version  of  the 
Seventy,  and  in  the  writings  of  the  New  Testament  ? 
The  citation  of  a  few  passages  will  settle  this  point 
beyond  all  possibility  of  dispute.  Let  us  then 
examine  in  the  Septuagint  a  fact  already  cited  from 
the  Hebrew.  Numb,  xxxii.  19 — it  was  seen  that  the 
word  -oy  in  the  former  and  latter  parts  of  the  same 
verse,  had  a  different  meaning  attached  to  it,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  connection  in  which  it  stood.  The 
case  is  precisely  the  same  with  respect  to  the  Greek 
word  n^av.  "  For  we  will  not  inherit  with  them 

dno  -lov  negav  'loyddvov  xai,  enexeiva,  for  We  have  received 
OUr    inheritance   ev   TW  USQUV   TOV   'logddvov   ev 


518  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Here  we  find  the  original  word  whose  meaning  we 
are  discussing,  alike  used  to  denote  the  regions  west 
and  east  of  Jordan — in  the  one  instance  connected 
with  the  term  sne^iva,  beyond,  in  the  other  with  the 
phrase  sv  avmolaig — towards  the  east — on  this  side. 

But  there  is  another  passage  equally  decisive  of 
the  point  in  controversy;  the  quotation  from  Isaiah, 
which  occurs  in  Matthew  iv.  15,  "  The  land  of 
Zebulon  and  the  land  of  Nepthalim,  by  the  way  of 
the  sea,  nsgav  TOV  'logdavov,  Galilee  of  the  nations." 
Here  we  perceive  that  a  tract  of  country  which 
every  one  knows  is  on  the  same  side  of  the  river 
with  Jerusalem,  where  Isaiah  lived,  is  designated 
by  him  as  nsgav  TOV  'logdavov — our  translators  omitting 
to  consider  how  the  Hebrew  idiom  had  affected  in 
many  instances  the  signification  of  terms  in  the 
Greek  language,  have  rendered  this  passage  "  be- 
yond Jordan."  Many  critics  have  since  noted  the 
incorrectness  of  this  version.  Campbell,  whose 
accurate  learning  and  great  candor  none  will  ques- 
tion, translates  thus  :  "  on  the  Jordan,"  remarking 
that  both  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  words  signify  in- 
differently "  on  this  side  "  and  on  "  the  other  side  " 
— and  that  they  should  be  rendered  in  general 
terms,  unless  limited  by  such  expressions  X«T'  avawKa 
or  X«T«  6alaavr)g.  Kuinoel  also  observes  in  his  note 
on  Matthew  iv.  15,  that  neqav  should  be  understood 
as  meaning  "  ad,  juxta,  prope."  And  again,  in 
John  i.  28,  adds  that  negav  answers  to  the  Hebrew 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  519 

•vy  and  not  only  signifies  trans,  but  juxta,  prope, 
cis,  sustaining  his  opinion  by  a  reference  to  Vorstius 
de  Hebraism,  N.  T.  and  Bielii,  Thes.  sub.  v.  nsgav, 
ed.  Schleusneri.  Parkhurst,  also,  in  his  Greek 
Lexicon  gives  as  one  of  the  significations  of  negav, 
about,  near.  And  yet  Dr.  Cooper  cites  this  writer 
to  prove  that  the  corresponding  Hebrew  word  always 
means  beyond,  over ;  and  annexes  the  taunting  ob- 
servation, "  I  hope  the  orthodox  will  not  object  to 
Parkhurst."  I  might  go  on  and  make  many  other 
citations,  both  from  the  Septuagint  and  the  New 
Testament,  in  confirmation  of  our  principle.  To 
the  general  reader,  however,  it  would  be  tedious, 
and  to  those  particularly  qualified  to  judge  in  the 
controversy,  it  cannot  be  necessary. 

The  result  then  at  which  we  have  arrived  with  a 
degree  of  certainty,  equal  to  that  attainable  in  any 
literary  investigation,  is — I.  That  both  the  Hebrew 
term  and  that  by  which  it  is  rendered  in  the  Sep- 
tuagint, are  used  to  express  the  nearer  or  farther 
side  of  a  river  indifferently. 

II.  Their  inherent  indeterminateness  of  significa- 
tion, is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  numerous  instances 
they  are  associated  with  phrases  which  limit  them — 
"  on  the  side  of  Jordan  eastward — on  the  side  of 
Jordan  westward." 

III.  These,  therefore,  according  to  the  definitions 
of  Kuinoel  and  Rosenmueler,  not  only  mean  at,  on, 
near,  but   with   considerable  latitude,  express  the 


520  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

whole  region  or  valley  washed  by  a  stream  in  its 
course. 

Our  version  of  Deut.  i.  1,  is  therefore  correct, 
and  the  passage  furnishes  no  argument  against  the 
Mosaic  origin  of  the  Pentateuch. 


SECTION    X. 

Objection  to  its  genuineness  derived  from  the  occurrence  of  passages 
incompatible  with  the  known  sentiments  of  Moses. 

IN  sustaining  any  abstract  truth,  or  in  vindicating 
the  accuracy  of  any  historical  record,  it  is  often 
necessary  to  bestow  much  attention  in  obviating 
the  difficulties  which  are  supposed  to  be  attached 
to  the  subject.  It  matters  not  what  force  of  rea- 
soning or  amount  of  evidence  be  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  point  in  question,  a  single  objection  sug- 
gested is  sometimes  sufficient  to  suspend  our  belief 
or  prevent  it  altogether.  Hence  it  arises  that  the 
most  laborious  portion  of  the  duty  devolving  upon 
the  apologist  for  Revelation,  is  the  replying  to  the 
numerous  cavils  presented  by  its  adversaries.  Nor 
is  the  importance  of  this  duty  less  remarkable  than 
its  difficulty.  In  supporting  truth,  we  are  bound  to 
present  it  in  as  clear  a  light  as  possible,  and  to 
answer  all  reasonable  .objections.  Yet  is  this  task 
far  more  difficult  of  accomplishment  than  the  office 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  521 

assumed  by  our  antagonist.  It  requires  neither 
learning  nor  ingenuity  to  make  exceptions  to  the 
history  or  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible ;  nor  is  there 
any  intelligence,  patience,  or  industry,  necessary  on 
the  part  of  the  community,  in  order  to  its  compre- 
hension of  them.  Unfortunately,  however,  for  the 
interest  of  truth,  the  case  is  otherwise  when  a  reply 
is  to  be  made  to  these  exceptions.  Profound 
research  is  often  requisite  to  expose  the  inaccuracy 
of  an  assertion  recklessly  made,  or  to  render  intelli- 
gible a  circumstance  which  belonging  to  a  remote 
age  and  a  very  different  state  of  society,  is  naturally 
productive  of  some  perplexity  ;  and  the  mind  which 
would  understand  the  elucidation  which  is  given, 
must  be  something  more  than  the  indolent  recipient 
of  some  brief  remark  thrown  out  in  conversation,  or 
some  brilliant,  although  fallacious  sentiment,  occur- 
ring in  the  fugitive  productions  of  the  day. 

It  is  manifest,  therefore,  that  the  advocate  of 
grave  and  important  truths  contends  under  the 
greatest  disadvantages ;  yet  difficult  as  it  is  to 
obtain  adequate  attention  to  the  considerations 
which  we  may  suggest,  in  consequence  of  the  aver- 
sion to  intellectual  labor  so  common  among  men — 
the  effort  must  be  made.  In  the  course  of  the 
investigation  which  we  have  been  pursuing,  I  trust 
that  something  of  this  duty  has  been  satisfactorily 
accomplished.  I  am  now  to  attempt  its  entire 
fulfilment. 

66 


522  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

The  next  objection  to  be  met  is — That  the  Pen- 
tateuch contains  sentiments  and  regulations  irrecon- 
cilable with  the  known  opinions  and  purposes  of 
the  Hebrew  lawgiver.  It  is  therefore  inferred  that 
he  cannot  be  the  author  of  this  book.  In  support 
of  this  view,  Deut.  xvii.  14 — 20  has  been  cited, 
where  reference  is  made  to  the  future  appointment 
of  a  king,  directions  given  respecting  his  election, 
arid  restrictions  imposed  upon  his  conduct.  Moses, 
it  is  asserted,  established  a  theocracy  ;  he  never 
contemplated  the  existence  of  a  regal  government 
among  the  Hebrews  ;  and  when  at  a  period  long 
subsequent,  a  request  was  made  on  the  part  of  the 
people,  to  the  prophet  Samuel,  to  ordain  a  king 
over  them  who  might  lead  them  forth  to  battle,  it 

O  ' 

was  regarded  by  the  Almighty  as  equivalent  to  a 
rejection  of  his  authority.  These  are  the  sugges- 
tions of  Ilgen,  in  which  De  Wette  has  followed 
him.  I  do  not,  however,  conceive  that  any  impor- 
tance is  to  be  attached  to  such  considerations. 
Undoubtedly,  according  to  the  original  organization 
of  the  Israelitish  commonwealth,  it  might  with  pro- 
priety of  speech  be  termed  a  theocratic  establish- 
ment, inasmuch  as  their  laws  proceeded  directly 
from  God,  were  expounded  by  the  priests  and 
Levites  as  holy  persons,  and  executed  by  the  judges 
as  divine  vicegerents  ;  to  which  we  may  add,  that 
in  difficult  cases  relating  to  government  and  war, 
Jehovah  was  consulted  by  Urim  and  Thummim,  or 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  523 

made  known  his  will  by  the  prophets,  his  authorized 
ministers.  It  is  equally  evident,  that  Moses  desired 
this  constitution  to  be  a  permanent  one,  because  he 
deemed  it  most  advantageous  to  the  people  for 
whom  he  felt  interested.  But  is  there  any  thing 
irreconcilable  with  these  views  in  the  passage  before 
us  ?  Does  the  writer  direct  or  even  approve  a 
change  in  the  form  of  government  originally  estab- 
lished among  the  Hebrews  ?  By  no  means.  He 
simply  declares,  "  When  thou  art  come  into  the 
land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  and  shall 
possess  it,  and  shall  dwell  therein,  and  shaft  say, 
I  will  set  a  king  over  me,  like  as  all  the  nations 
that  are  about  me  ;  thou  shalt  in  any  wise  set  him 
king  over  thee  whom  the  Lord  thij  God  shall 
choose"  &c.  He  merely  anticipates  what  will  be 
their  future  wishes.  This  might  have  been  the 
result  of  natural  sagacity,  even  without  the  pro- 
phetical insight  into  futurity  which  we  suppose  him 
to  have  possessed.  "  He  well  understood  the  tem- 
per of  the  orientals,  whose  propensity  to  kingly 
government  was  also  remarked  by  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  in  later  times.  The  example  of  all  their 
neighbors,  the  idea  of  a  nation  being  more  respec- 
table with  a  king  at  their  head,  the  corruption  of 
morals  which  gradually  crept  into  the  priestly  order, 
the  desire  or  the  necessity  of  being  always  prepared 
for  war — these  and  other  causes  may  have  induced 


524  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

the  Hebrews  earnestly  to  desire  a  king."  *  In 
prospect  of  this  state  of  things,  Moses  allows  of  the 
existence  of  a  form  of  government  somewhat  modi- 
fied, but  attaches  to  it  such  restrictions  as  would  in 
a  great  measure  obviate  the  evils  incident  to  its 
establishment.  "  In  this,"  continues  the  philo- 
sophical writer  above  quoted,  "  his  judicious  conduct 
merits  commendation,  since  he  thus  avoided  the 
error  into  which  other  legislators  both  ancient  and 
modern  have  fallen,  in  wishing  to  prescribe  for  their 
nation  a  form  of  government  never  to  be  changed. 
For  even  the  best  constitution  of  a  state  may 
become  in  a  manner  antiquated  and  enfeebled  by 
abuses  that  are  too  strong  for  the  laws,  in  which 
case  it  is  expedient  to  alter  it,  and  to  convert,  for 
instance,  into  a  monarchy,  a  free  republic,  where 
the  people  have  become  lawless,  or  certain  citizens 
too  powerful  or  ambitious. — History  confirms  the 
observation,  and  the  government  which  has  in  itself 
no  inherent  power  of  changing  its  form,  will  sooner 
or  later  experience  a  revolution,  notwithstanding, 
with  this  difference  only,  that  it  will  not  be  effected 
peaceably,  but  by  force." 

The  next  objection  which  demands  our  attention 
is  derived  from  a  class  of  passages,  which  are  con- 
ceived to  represent  the  Almighty  as  visible,  and 
which  cannot  therefore  have  proceeded  from  Moses 

*  Michaelis'  Com.  on  the  Laws  of  Moses,  Art.  liv.  §  1,  p.  1. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  525 

who  taught  the  spirituality  of  the  divine  nature. 
We  scarcely  deem  this  imagined  difficulty  worthy 
of  a  passing  notice,  although  much  importance 
seems  to  be  attached  to  it.  Several  texts  are  cited, 
such  as  Exodus  xxxiii.  11 — where  it  is  said  that 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  face  to  face,  as  a  man 
speaketh  to  his  friend.  It  is  astonishing  that  any 
one  who  pays  attention  to  the  context,  or  who  is  at 
all  acquainted  with  the  genius  of  the  Hebrew 
language,  and  the  modes  of  expression  common 
among  all  nations  in  the  early  stages  of  their 
existence,  should  understand  the  author  as  here 
ascribing  to  the  Deity,  a  corporeal  form.  In  a 
passage  immediately  succeeding  the  one  under 
view,  it  is  declared  no  man  can  see  God's  face  and 
live.  We  cannot  suppose  that  any  writer,  however 
blundering,  could  within  so  short  a  space,  have 
fallen  into  so  palpable  a  contradiction.  The  truth 
is,  that  the  expression,  "  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Moses  face  to  face,  as  a  man  speaketh  to  his 
friend,"  is  merely  a  figurative  representation  of  the 
high  regard  in  wrhich  the  Almighty  held  his  min- 
ister, and  the  direct  communication  which  he 
maintained  writh  him.  The  tropical  significations 
of  the  word  face,  are  exceedingly  numerous.  I 
need  only  refer  to  Gesenius,  where  the  instances 
are  noted,  and  shall  merely  cite  a  single  passage 
from  the  very  chapter  which  is  supposed  to  present 
the  difficulty  which  I  am  called  upon  to  obviate. 


526  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

In  our  version  God  is  represented  as  saying,  "  My 
presence  shall  go  with  you" — meaning  that  he 
would  by  his  power  attend  and  protect  the  Israelites. 
A  literal  translation  would  be — "  My  face  shall  go 
with  you."  While  on  this  topic,  it  may  be  well  to 
suggest  a  general  remark  in  relation  to  the  anthro- 
pomorphical and  anthropopathical  representations 
occurring  in  the  Bible — that  is,  expressions  ascrib- 
ing human  form  or  passions  to  the  Deity.  No 
candid  man  of  intelligence  can  fall  into  any  miscon- 
ception on  this  subject.  We  find  it  exceedingly 
difficult  under  any  circumstances  to  conceive  of 
God  in  his  pure  spirituality,  much  less  to  speak  of 
his  operations  consistently  with  this  character. 
Much  more  difficult  then,  and  even  impossible  was 
it  to  hold  communication  in  respect  to  these  things 
with  a  people  as  a  whole,  rude  and  uncultivated, 
and  having  in  their  language  no  words  for  the 
expression  of  abstract  or  spiritual  ideas.  Much 
therefore  as  Moses  and  the  sacred  writers  succeed- 
ing him  insisted  upon  the  immensity  and  invisibility 
of  Jehovah — greatly  as  they  censured  any  attempt 
to  give  a  corporeal  representation  of  him — even 
although  it  were  taken  from  man — the  possessor 
of  intelligence  which  assimilated  him  to  the 
Divinity,  and  constituted  him  lord  of  this  lower 
world  ;  still  were  they  compelled  to  fall  into  an 
apparent  inconsistency  in  their  language.  It  was 
necessary  to  employ  terms  drawn  from  the  objects 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  527 

of  sense,  using  them,  however,  in  a  metaphorical 
signification.  To  denote  the  commandments  of 
God,  they  spoke  of  his  mouth — in  speaking  of  his 
knowledge  of  the  actions  of  men,  they  referred  to 
his  eyes  and  ears — his  hand  wras  the  expression  of 
his  power,  and  his  heart  the  indication  of  his  dispo- 
sitions and  feelings. 

Still  more  frivolous  than  the  objection  which  I 
have  just  discussed,  is  another  respecting  the  imag- 
ined inconsistency  between  the  prohibition  to 
worship  images,  and  the  direction  to  form  the 
brazen  serpent  in  order  to  an  emblematic  use  of  it. 
It  was  sufficiently  strange  that  the  weak  minds  of  a 
former  age  should  have  supposed  the  second  com- 
mandment to  forbid  the  execution  of  any  work  of 
statuary,  even  without  the  purpose  of  employing  it 
as  the  instrument  of  an  idolatrous  worship.  It  is 
utterly  amazing  that  such  a  notion  should  have 
entered  the  brain  of  an  enlightened  philosopher  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  In  connection  with  this 
objection,  our  author  animadverts  on  the  supposed 
inconsistency  between  the  curious  and  costly  works 
accomplished  by  the  Israelites  in  the  desert,  and  the 
state  of  destitution,  relieved  only  by  miraculous 
supplies,  which  marked  their  wanderings.  This 
was  a  favorite  theme  with  Voltaire,  who  asserted 
that  the  quantity  of  gold  employed  in  the  fabrica- 
tion of  the  golden  calf  alone,  must  have  far  exceeded 
the  resources  of  the  people.  This  and  various  other 


528  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

exceptions  of  that  ingenious  and  lively,  but  super- 
ficial and  dishonest  writer,  have  been  well  answered 
in  a  volume  entitled  "  Letters  of  certain  Jews  to 
Mons.  Voltaire" — a  work  written  with  great  spirit 
and  talent,  distinguished  by  much  urbanity,  and 
enriched  with  many  valuable  illustrations  of  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures.  It  may,  however,  on  the 
present  occasion,  be  only  necessary  to  observe,  that 
all  the  employment  of  the  precious  metals  in  the 
formation  of  these  works,  which  required  moreover 
the  agency  of  ingenious  artists,  took  place  within 
one  year  after  the  departure  from  Egypt,  when  the 
resources  of  the  Hebrews  are  represented  as  being 
most  ample,  and  when  having  just  emerged  from  a 
country  marked  by  a  high  degree  of  civilization, 
they  doubtless  had  with  them  artisans  of  every  kind 
and  of  the  most  consummate  skill. 

We  may  now  advance  to  the  next  difficulty  pro- 
posed, grounded  on  Numbers  xii.  3  :  "  Now  the 
man  Moses  was  very  meek,  above  all  the  men  which 
were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth."  It  is  thought 
that  such  an  observation  respecting  himself  is  en- 
tirely alien  from  the  dignity  and  modesty  inseparable 
from  our  conception  of  the  character  of  the  Jewish 
lawgiver.  The  passage  has  attracted  the  attention 
of  biblical  critics  as  well  as  that  of  infidels.  Eichorn 
regards  it  as  an  addition  to  the  text  subsequently 
made.  In  this  view,  Rosenmueler  coincides,  alleg- 
ing that  the  connection  is  perfect  and  even  more 


'%   *% 

ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  529 

natural  without  the  third  verse.  He  insists,  in  ad- 
dition, upon  the  consideration  that  the  phrase,  "  the 
man  Moses,"  is  without  example  in  the  Pentateuch. 
We  might  safely  concede  this  point,  in  accordance 
with  the  principle  laid  down  in  a  former  essay. 
Such  a  reflection  might  well  have  been  put  down 
as  a  marginal  note,  by  one  who  was  struck  with 
the  consideration  of  the  forbearance  evinced  by  the 
distinguished  minister  of  Jehovah.  Through  the 
negligence  of  some  copyists,  it  might  have  passed 
into  the  text.  All  this  may  be  supposed,  without 
there  being  attached  to  us  the  censure  involved  in 
the  following  remark  of  Dr.  Cooper  :  "  If  Moses 
wrote  these  books,  such  passages  are  interpolations; 
but  it  is  strange  logic  to  assume  that  they  are  inter- 
polations for  the  sole  purpose  of  making  Moses  the 
author."  How  uncandid  is  this  insinuation.  We 
do  not  act,  as  in  this  passage  we  are  charged  with 
doing.  We  have  various,  independent,  and  satis- 
factory proofs  that  Moses  wrote  the  Pentateuch  ; 
we  merely  find  it  necessary,  as  in  relation  to  all  the 
most  accredited  works  of  antiquity,  to  make  some 
critical  emendations,  and  sometimes  to  reject  a 
passage  which  is  manifestly  spurious.  That  the 
text  which  we  have  been  considering  is  of  such  a 
character,  is,  however,  by  no  means  universally  con- 
ceded. Dr.  Adam  Clarke  thinks  that  all  difficulties 
will  be  obviated  by  a  correct  understanding  of  the 
meaning  of  the  passage.  His  suggestions  are  val- 
67 


530  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

uable,  and  although  nothing  can  be  more  ridiculous 
or  unauthorized,  than  the  varying  the  translation  of 
any  passage  in  the  Scriptures  which  becomes  the 
object  of  misconception,  it  is  equally  unreasonable 
to  persist  in  a  false  rendering,  which  is  productive 
of  serious  embarrassment  either  in  the  conception 
of  truth  itself,  or  in  the  vindication  of  it  from  the 
charges  made  by  its  adversaries.  "  I  think,"  ob- 
serves the  learned  writer  just  referred  to,  "  that  the 
word  rendered  rneek  has  not  been  rightly  under- 
stood, uy  (anav,)  which  we  translate  meek,  comes 
from  ruy  (anah,)  to  act  upon,  humble,  depress,  afflict, 
and  is  translated  so  in  many  parts  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, and  in  this  sense  should  be  understood  here." 
"  Now  the  man  Moses  was  depressed  or  afflicted 
more  than  any  man  of  that  land — borne  down  by 
the  weight  of  the  cares  devolving  on  him,  and 
afflicted  by  the  perverseness  and  rebellions  of  the 
people  confided  to  his  charge."  The  reader  may, 
in  addition  to  what  is  here  suggested,  consider 
Gesenius's  illustration  of  the  meaning  of  the  word 
in  question. 

Of  the  objections  belonging  to  that  class  to  which 
this  number  has  been  devoted,  there  remains  but 
one  to  be  considered.  It  is  drawn  from  the  occur- 
rence of  the  plural  word  Elohim,  to  express  the 
Deity.  This  is  supposed  to  imply  polytheistic 
notions,  inconsistent  with  the  Mosaic  doctrine  con- 
cerning the  unity  of  the  divine  nature.  By  one  in 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  531 

the  slightest  degree  embued  with  a  knowledge  of 
the  Hebrew  language,  such  a  difficulty  could  never, 
in  good  faith,  have  been  suggested.  As,  however, 
our  author's  acquaintance  with  this  language  may 
not  be  more  perfect  than  that  which  Voltaire  pos- 
sessed of  the  Greek,*  and  as  the  confident  assertion 
of  so  profound  a  scholar,  will,  at  all  events  sway 
the  opinions  of  multitudes,  it  is  incumbent  on  us  to 
exhibit  its  fallacy.  We  have  then  no  difficulty  in 
allowing  that  the  form  of  the  word  Elohim  is  plural, 
and  that  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  translate  it 
accordingly.  Why  then  do  we  often  render  it  in 
the  singular,  and  how  does  it  appear  that  its  use  by 
the  Jewish  writers  does  not  involve  the  belief  in 
many  Gods  ?  By  attending  to  a  principal  of  con- 
struction belonging  to  the  Hebrew  language,  recog- 
nized by  all  grammarians  and  lexicographers.  In 
Gesenius's  Lexicon,  under  the  word  Elohim,  we  find 
the  following  description  : — "  As  a  pluralis  excel- 
lentise,  God,  in  the  singular.  It  is  sometimes  con- 
strued (contrary  to  the  general  rule  concerning  the 
pluralis  excellentise)  with  plural  adjectives  ex  :  gr : 
1  Sam.  iv.  8  ;  xvii.  26 ;  but  the  verb  is  almost  con- 
stantly in  the  singular,  as  in  Gen.  i.  1.  The  ex- 
ceptions are  Gen.  xx.  13 ;  xxxi.  53 ;  2  Sam.  xvii. 

*  For  some  curious  and  amusing  instances  of  ignorance  in  relation 
to  the  simplest  elements  of  the  Greek  language,  drawn  from  the 
works  of  this  most  superficial  writer  of  universal  pretensions,  see 
*  Jew's  Letters,'  pages  463,  464. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

23;  Ps.  Iviii.  12."  The  same  principle  is  laid 
down  in  the  Hebrew  Grammar,  essentially  that  of 
Gesenius,  which  Prof.  Stuart  has  published.  Some 
farther  illustration  of  the  doctrine  is  added,  which  I 
do  not  think  it  necessary  to  quote.  Rosenmueler 
on  Gen.  i.  1,  observes,  "  The  plural  Elohim  is  cus- 
tomarily used  to  express  God.  In  poetic  style,  and 
in  the  later  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  sin- 
gular is  found.  Otherwise  the  Old  Testament 
writers  use  the  plural  Elohim,  but  construed  like 
the  singular,  concerning  the  one  true  God.  For 
according  to  the  peculiarity  of  the  Hebrew  tongue, 
the  plural,  as  well  masculine  as  feminine,  is  em- 
ployed concerning  one  thing  great  and  excellent  in 
its  kind." 

As  I  am  not  aware  that  any  Hebrew  scholar  has 
ever  impugned  the  accuracy  of  the  above  represen- 
tation, 1  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  advance  any 
thing  more  in  its  support.  It  will  be  sufficient  to 
add  a  remark  on  Dr.  Cooper's  reference  to  Park- 
hurst  and  Dr.  A.  Clarke,  to  illustrate  one  or  two 
exceptions  to  the  general  rule  established  in  the 
citations  which  I  have  made.  The  reference  alluded 
to  is  in  these  words  : — "  That  Elohim  is  in  the 
plural,  and  that  it  is  joined  with  plural  adjectives, 
verbs  and  pronouns,  Dr.  A.  Clarke,  after  Parkhurst's 
Lex.  has  collected  abundant  instances  in  his  note 
on  Gen.  i.  1."  Now  it  may  be  inquired  whether 
Parkhurst  and  Dr.  Clarke  meant  to  assert  that 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  533 

Elohim  was  uniformly  or  even  generally  used  in 
connection  with  plural  adjectives,  pronouns  and 
verbs.  We  shall  perceive  in  the  sequel  what  was 
the  opinion  of  the  latter  ;  and  as  respects  the  former, 
the  very  purpose  which  he  meant  to  accomplish  by 
his  citations,  would  be  frustrated  by  the  establish- 
ment of  such  a  principle.  He  proceeds  upon  the 
admitted  doctrine  that  the  plural  designation  Elohim 
is  used  to  denote  the  one  true  God,  a  main  proof  of 
which  is,  that  it  is  subject  to  the  construction  of  a 
word  in  the  singular  ;  i.  e.  it  has  joined  to  it  sin- 
gular verbs,  pronouns  and  adjectives.  Hence  he 
infers,  fancifully,  as  is  thought  by  many  orthodox 
theologians,  that  a  proof  is  thus  furnished  of  a 
Trinity  in  Unity.  He  endeavors  to  corroborate  his 
argument  by  showing  that  this  plural  denomination 
of  Deity,  although  manifestly  referring  to  the  true 
God,  who  is  one,  and  construed  as  a  singular,  is 
nevertheless  not  unfrequently  connected  with  plural 
verbs,  &c.  What  were  Dr.  Clarke's  views  will 
appear  from  his  note  on  Gen.  xx.  13.  "  Here  the 
word  Elohim  is  used  with  a  plural  verb,  which  is 
very  unusual  in  the  Hebrew  language,  as  this  plural 
noun  is  generally  joined  with  verbs  in  the  singular 
number."  The  passage  upon  which  this  observation 
occurs,  is  one  of  the  few  exceptions  to  the  rule 
which  holds  good,  generally,  respecting  all  the 
attributive  parts  of  speech,  and  almost  universally 
in  relation  to  verbs.  Rosenmueler's  remark  is, 


534  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

that  these  exceptions  usually  occur  when  respect 
is  had  rather  to  the  plural  form  than  to  the  sig- 
nification of  the  word.  That  in  this  very  text 
where  the  plural  form  obtains,  both  in  the  subject 
and  predicate  of  the  proposition,  the  discourse  is 
concerning  the  one  true  God,  is  manifest  by  a 
reference  to  a  parallel  passage.  In  this  place 
Abraham  says,  when  Elohim  caused  me  to  wander 
(verb  in  plural  form)  from  my  father's  house,  that 
I  said,  &c.  His  allusion  is  to  what  is  narrated 
Gen.  xii.  "Now  the  Lord  (Jehovah)  had  said 
unto  Abram,  get  thee  out  from  thy  country,"  &c. 
It  is  thus  demonstrated  that  the  word  Elohim, 
even  when  construed  with  a  plural  verb,  is  used 
to  designate  that  one  God  who  was  known  to 
the  Israelites  by  his  proper  name,  Jehovah.  Other 
instances  where  plural  adjectives  are  joined  to 
the  word  in  question,  when  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  true  God  is  spoken  of,  are  furnished  Ps. 
Iviii.  12;  Joshua  xxiv.  19.  It  is  time,  however, 
to  close  this  discussion,  with  which  I  shall  termi- 
nate the  present  section. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  535 

SECTION    XI. 

Objections  particularly  referring  to  the  Book  of  Genesis. 

"  FROM  the  last  verse  of  Genesis,  to  the  end  of 
the  Revelation,  there  is  no  reference  made  to  the 
book  of  Genesis  or  its  contents."  Such  a  remark 
proceeding  from  any  other  writer  than  the  author  of 
the  "  Connexion  between  Geology  and  the  Pen- 
tateuch," would  greatly  surprise  us.  It,  however, 
perfectly  corresponds  to  many  assertions  with  which 
we  meet  in  that  production.  The  total  absence  of 
truth  which  distinguishes  it,  I  need  not  attempt  to 
prove,  so  far  as  my  concern  is  with  those  who  are 
at  all  acquainted  with  the  Bible,  either  in  its  earlier 
or  its  later  portions.  Yet  to  those  less  informed  on 
the  subject,  the  inquiry  may  be  addressed — How 
could  the  succeeding  books  be  at  all  understood 
without  the  history  contained  in  this  introductory 
one  ?  How  would  the  Israelites  have  known  any 
thing  respecting  the  God  of  their  fathers  ;  He  who 
is  ever  called  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  and  whose  promises,  repeatedly  made  to 
these  patriarchs,  are  so  frequently  referred  to  ?  And 
how  could  they  have  known  any  thing  in  relation  to 
their  migration  into  Egypt,  and  the  events  which 
there  occurred  ? 

It  must  be  manifest  then,  to  every  one  who  will 


536  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

reflect  on  the  subject,  that  the  book  in  question  is 
absolutely  indispensable  to  the  completeness  of  the 
historical  records  of  the  Jews. 

To  this  book,  however,  apart  from  its  imagined 
want  of  connection  with  those  which  succeed,  our 
author  takes  the  strongest  exceptions.  There  are 
several  reasons  which  he  suggests,  against  its  re- 
ception as  a  genuine  production. 

1.  It  is  composed  of  various  independent  docu- 
ments. I  am  at  a  loss  to  conceive  what  bearing 
upon  the  subject  this  consideration  can  have.  Dr. 
Cooper  furnishes  a  full  account  of  the  several  the- 
ories which  have  been  offered  respecting  the  sources 
whence  Moses  derived  his  materials  for  writing  the 
history  contained  in  Genesis.  He  seems  to  think 
that  the  admission  of  the  correctness  of  these 
theories,  which  agree  in  the  essential  fact,  that  pre- 
existing documents  were  used,  and  differ  only  in 
respect  to  the  number  of  them,  is  equivalent  to  an 
abandonment  of  the  position  that  the  first  book  of 
the  Pentateuch  is  a  Mosaic  production.  Absurd 
imagination  !  Such  an  assumption  is  entirely  in- 
consequential. Does  he  not  know  that  the  orthodox 
Vitringa  first  suggested  the  opinion  under  view  in 
his  Observationes  Sacrae  Lib.  1,  civ.  §  23,  p.  36, 
Franeq.  1712,  long  before  it  was  fully  developed  by 
Astruc,  A.  D.  1753,  and  modified  by  Eichorn  and 
Ilgen  ?  Is  he  not  aware  that  many  have  since 
adopted  it,  who  never  for  a  moment  questioned  the 


/. 

ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  537 

authority  of  Genesis,  as  proceeding  from  Moses  ? 
Such  is  especially  the  fact  in  reference  to  Jahn  and 
Rosenmueler  among  the  biblical  critics,  and  Knapp 
among  the  theologians  ;  who  have  however  shown 
the  impotence  of  the  attempts  to  ascertain  the 
precise  number  of  documents  used,  or  to  define 
accurately  their  beginnings  or  endings — and  wherein 
consists  the  incompatibility  of  this  theory  with  the 
views  which  we  advocate  ?  There  are  only  three 
sources  from  which  we  can  suppose  Moses  to  have 
derived  his  materials.  He  must  have  received  them 
directly  from  the  Deity  by  inspiration,  or  derived 
them  from  oral  traditions,  or  possessed  some  ancient 
written  memorials  of  the  human  race.  Admit  the 
latter  supposition  to  be  true,  either  wholly  or  par- 
tially, and  how  does  it  derogate  from  the  character 
of  Genesis  ?  Still  its  accuracy  is  vouched  for  by 
Moses,  able,  as  he  is  allowed  on  all  hands  to  have 
been,  to  judge  respecting  the  trustworthiness  of 
any  ancient  documents,  and  qualified  according  to 
our  apprehension,  to  give  them  the  sanction  of  an 
inspired  prophet. 

But  it  is  alleged  that  these  documents  are  con- 
flicting, exceptionable  in  themselves,  or  manifestly 
derived  from  another  people  long  subsequent  to  the 
age  of  Moses.  There  is  supposed  to  be  a  contra- 
riety between  the  two  accounts  of  the  creation  of 
man,  contained  in  the  first  and  second  chapters  of 
Genesis,  which  are  regarded  as  being  two  of  these 
68 


538  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

documents.  The  plain  state  of  the  case  is — that  in 
the  former  chapter  there  is  a  brief  mention  of  the 
formation  of  man  in  the  general  account  of  the  work 
of  the  six  days.  In  the  latter  the  subject  is  re- 
sumed, and  some  details  of  the  transaction  are  given, 
entirely  consistent  with  the  mere  succinct  statement 
previously  furnished. 

But  in  the  one  narrative,  the  designation  given  to 
the  Creator  is  Elohim  ;  in  the  other  it  is  Jehovah 
Elohim.  And  what  does  this  prove  ?  that  there 
were  separate  accounts  in  the  hands  of  Moses,  which 
he  had  derived  from  his  forefathers  ?  Let  this  be 
allowed,  and  what  does  the  adversary  gain  ?  Who 
supposes  that  it  at  all  detracts  from  the  value  of  an 
historical  work,  that  in  its  compilation,  two  distinct, 
although  harmonious  authorities  have  been  used — 
the  one  going  more  into  detail  than  the  other  ?  And 
these  documents  are  not  confusedly  thrown  together, 
or  barely  compiled  by  one  who  assumed  no  res- 
ponsibility in  regard  to  them.  Moses  often  blends 
them  intimately,  as  is  the  case  in  Gen.  vi.  5,  6  ; 
"  And  God  (Elohim)  saw  that  the  wickedness  of 
man  was  great  on  the  earth,  and  it  repented  the 
Lord  (Jehovah)  that  he  had  made  man." 

By  the  way,  I  would  remark  upon  a  considerable 
oversight  of  Dr.  Cooper,  in  referring  to  Eichorn's 
classification  of  texts.  They  who  read  the  works 
of  this  writer,  must  have  often  wondered  at  his 
studious  display  of  scriptural  erudition,  and  at  his 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  539 

commendable  zeal  in  enforcing  upon  them  an  actual 
and  careful  examination  of  the  texts  which  he  cites  : 
"  I  request,"  he  in  the  present  instance  observes, 
"  the  reader  to  take  his  Bible  and  peruse  the  ac- 
count of  the  creation  by  the  Gods  (Elohim)  in  the 
following  order  ;  Gen.  vi.  12,  13,  &c.  fcc.  and  the 
Jehovah  narration.  Gen.  vi.  5,  7,"  &c. 

Alas  !  he  has  imposed  upon  the  reader  a  difficult 
— an  impracticable  task.  How  can  we  read  what 
is  not  written  ?  When  the  entire  discourse  is  of 
the  wickedness  of  the  human  race,  leading  to  the 
desolation  of  our  globe  by  an  universal  deluge — how 
may  we  find  two  separate  accounts  of  the  creation 
of  man  ?  Surely  it  becomes  the  writer  to  examine 
the  texts  which  he  cites,  and  to  ascertain  their 
subject,  before  he  refers  the  reader  to  them  for  his 
satisfaction,  in  relation  to  a  particular  hypothesis. 
The  strong  hold,  however,  in  which  the  adversary 
intrenches  himself,  is  the  plural  termination  of  the 
word  Elohim.  But  after  the  full  discussion  of  this 
topic  in  the  last  number,  I  do  not  deem  it  necessary 
to  add  a  single  remark. 

The  fallacy  thus  being  shown,  of  any  conclusion 
detrimental  to  the  authority  of  Genesis,  drawn  from 
the  fact  that  Moses  used  pre-existing  documents ; 
and  the  assertion  that  these  are  conflicting,  satis- 
factorily refuted ;  we  are  prepared  to  meet  the  ex- 
ceptions to  these  original  sources  of  information 
independently  considered.  The  Elohim  document 


. 

» 

* 

540  ESSAY   ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

is  said  to  be  a  Chaldee  tradition  added  to  a  Jewish 
one,  and  the  assertion  is,  that  the  production  which 
they  constitute,  did  not  exist  until  after  the  trans- 
portation to  Babylon.  And  what  are  the  reasons 
for  this  belief?  An  attempt  is  made  to  exhibit  a 
formidable  array  of  them,  by  a  double  enumeration 
of  one,  and  by  the  fabrication  of  others  which  involve 
the  inference  of  the  actual  from  the  possible. 

The  first  proof,  so  called,  that  the  book  of  Genesis 
had  its  origin  during  the  captivity,  is  that  Elohim 
is  plural.  So  fond  of  this  argument  is  our  author, 
that  in  addition  to  his  former  reference  to  it,  he  has 
twice  mentioned  it  in  the  single  paragraph  which 
we  have  now  under  view.  For  an  exhibition  of  the 
insufficiency  of  this  consideration,  the  reader  must 
again  be  referred  to  the  discussion  gone  into,  on  a 
former  occasion.  I  may,  however,  suggest  one 
additional  remark.  Greatly  as  the  Jews  were  prone 
to  idolatry,  prior  to  the  chastisement  inflicted  by 
their  long  and  mournful  captivity  ;  after  this  period, 
they  never  gave  the  slightest  indication  of  a  similar 
propensity.  Any  respect  paid  to  the  gods  of  other 
nations,  any  thing  derogatory  from  the  honor  of 
Jehovah,  they  appear  to  have  regarded  with  ex- 
treme abhorrence.  Now  let  it  be  admitted  that 
they  had  adopted  or  compiled  any  historical  doc- 
ument, at  that  time,  is  it  credible  that  they  would 
have  tolerated  in  such  document,  any  thing  which 
recognized  a  multiplicity  of  Gods? 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  541 

But  the  word  El  is  not  Hebrew  but  Chaldee. 
This  is  a  remark  for  which  our  author  is  indebted 
to  Voltaire  ;  although,  by  a  singular  neglect,  this 
lively  writer  is  not  mentioned  in  the  general  list  of 
authorities  which  is  furnished.  Perhaps  it  was 
thought  that  a  more  imposing  display  of  learning 
was  made  by  a  reference  to  Hobbes,  and  Spinoza, 
and  Father  Simon. 

"  These  puppies  of  Jews,"  writes  the  courteous 
Frenchman,  "  are  of  so  late  a  date  that  they  had 
not  a  word  in  their  language  to  signify  God,  the 
name  El  was  originally  Chaldean." — Phil.  Diet. 

What  if  it  were  so  ?  Was  not  Abraham  a  native 
of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  ?  Did  not  Isaac,  his  son, 
obtain  a  wife  from  Mesopotamia  ?  Is  it  forgotten 
that  the  wives  of  Jacob  were  Chaldean,  and  that 
the  patriarch  himself  spent  many  years  of  his  life 
in  the  "  land  of  the  children  of  the  East  ?  "  Is  it 
then  surprising  that  a  designation  of  the  Deity  de- 
rived from  this  oriental  dialect,  should  have  been  in 
use  among  the  descendants  of  these  individuals  ? 
Moreover,  Hebrew  and  Chaldee  are  languages  now 
nearly  resembling  each  other,  they  are  both  branches 
of  one  original  stock,  and  of  course  varied  from 
each  other  less  at  a  former  and  remote  period  than 
they  do  at  present.  This  being  considered,  who 
can  doubt  that  they  had  not  a  few,  but  many  words 
in  common  ?  We  have  as  authority  for  this,  Mons. 
Voltaire,  who  in  singular  contradiction  to  what  is 


542  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

above  quoted  from  him  says,  "  This  word  El  sig- 
nified God  among  the  first  Phoenicians,"  (who  spake 
Hebrew.) — Phil.  Diet.  Art  Phosn.  The  position 
therefore  in  reference  to  this  word  which  is  at- 
tempted to  be  maintained,  we,  perceive  to  be  utterly 
untenable. 

But  the  traditions  contained  in  Genesis,  are  far- 
ther said  to  be  Chaldean,  because  they  agree  with 
the  Phoenician  and  Chaldean  writers,  as  cited  by 
Josephus,  Alexander,  Polyhistor,  and  Eusebius  from 
Berosus."  Chaldee,  because  they  agree  with  the 
Phoenician  writers  !  Why  not  Phoenician  rather  ? 
And  if  the  Phoenician  and  Chaldean  writers,  inde- 
pendent authorities,  concur  in  a  particular  represen- 
tation, in  which  they  are  also  sustained  by  the 
Hebrew  records,  why  should  not  these  latter  be 
considered  a  separate  and  additional  witness?  But 
two  other  of  our  adversary's  reasons  remain  to  be 
considered — the  one  that  Ezra,  educated  at  Bab- 
ylon, would  derive  all  his  knowledge  from  Chaldean 
writers  ;  the  other,  that  the  Jews  of  that  period 
would  be  conversant  with  the  literature  and  tradi- 
tional cosmogony  of  the  country  in  which  they 
lived.  I  would  here  simply  repeat  a  suggestion 
already  made,  that  this  involves  an  argument  from 
the  possible  to  the  actual.  It  is  a  mere  begging  of 
the  question.  It  is  saying  nothing  more,  than  that 
if  Moses  did  not  write  Genesis,  Ezra  or  some  other 
Jew  might  have  done  it,  during  the  exile. 


ESSAY  ON  THE   PENTATEUCH.  643 

It  seems  then  that  the  imposing  array  of  objec- 
tions brought  up  against  us,  is  so  much  diminished^ 
that  but  two  require  to  be  seriously  met.  These 
are — that  El  is  a  Chaldean  word,  and  that  the 
cosmogony,  or  account  of  the  origin  of  created 
things  contained  in  Genesis,  is  Chaldean.  A  suffi- 
cient refutation  of  the  argument  founded  upon 
them,  it  is  thought,  has  been  furnished  by  the 
observations  already  made.  The  latter  of  the 
considerations  above  mentioned,  may  perhaps  de- 
serve some  additional  attention.  It  is  admitted 
that  the  traditions  preserved  by  Berosus,  do  greatly 
resemble  the  narration  which  Genesis  presents. 
This  observation  also  applies  in  a  degree  even  more 
remarkable,  to  the  fragmentary  records  of  the 
Egyptians  and  Phoenicians,  as  they  are  exhibited 
in  Diodorus  Siculus  and  Sanchoniathon.  A  similar 
correspondence  may  be  traced  in  the  accounts  of 
the  origin  of  things  existing  among  the  ancient 
Persians.  To  the  Hindoos  and  Chinese,  it  is  not 
deemed  necessary,  at  present,  to  make  any  refer- 
ence. Now  it  is  not  probable  that  from  any  one  of 
these  nations,  all  the  rest  borrowed  their  cosmogo- 
nies. The  obvious  conclusion  is,  that  they  were 
derived  from  some  common  and  more  ancient 
source,  and  that  they  were  founded  on  transactions 
really  taking  place. 

But  the  other  document  assumed  as  one  of  the 
originals  of  Genesis,  in  which  the  term  Jehovah  is 


644  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

used,  is  also  denounced  as  suspicious.  To  support 
this  proscription,  a  reference  is  made  to  the  follow- 
ing passage,  Ex.  vi.  3 :  "  And  I  appeared  unto 
Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  by  the  name 
of  God  Almighty  :  but  by  my  name  Jehovah  was  I 
not  known  to  them." 

The  difficulty  connected  with  this  passage  is, 
that  in  many  parts  of  the  preceding  history  the 
name  Jehovah  occurs.  Yet  here  it  is  supposed  to 
be  declared  that  this  name  was  not  previously 
applied  to  the  Deity.  The  inference  is,  that  the 
book  of  Genesis,  containing  this  history,  must  have 
been  written  after  Exodus,  and  is  contradictory  to 
it.  The  only  and  the  entirely  satisfactory  solution 
of  the  difficulty  presented  is,  that  the  text  cited 
does  not  prove  the  name  Jehovah  to  have  been 
entirely  unknown  to  the  ancestors  of  Moses.  Vari- 
ous writers  use  different  methods  of  establishing  this 
conclusion. 

We  premise  to  a  statement  of  some  of  these,  the 
general  consideration  that  there  can  be  no  real 
inconsistency  between  the  passage  in  question  and 
the  numerous  texts  in  Genesis,  where  Jehovah  is 
employed  as  a  well  known  divine  appellation.  If 
it  were  so,  would  not  they,  who  according  to  the 
gratuitous  supposition  of  our  adversary,  at  a  late 
period  foisted  the  book  of  Genesis  into  the  collec- 
tion of  the  Jewish  historical  records,  have  avoided 
an  inconsistency  so  glaring,  by  new  modelling  the 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  545 

spurious  production  which  they  are  assumed  to  have 
borrowed,  or  expunging  the  single  passage  which 
seemed  to  create  any  embarrassment?  Upon  the 
supposition  we  have  made,  principle  could  have 
presented  no  obstacle  to  such  a  proceeding — interest 
and  common  sense  would  have  imperatively  enjoined 
it.  But  to  return — some  understand  the  phraseology 
of  the  text,  Ex.  vi.  3,  as  employed  not  in  an  abso- 
lute but  comparative  sense.  God  was  not  so  much 
known  to  the  patriarchs  by  the  designation  of 
Jehovah,  as  by  that  of  El  Shaddai — God  Almighty. 
Others  think  that  in  the  present  instance  the  word 
only  is  to  be  understood  as  supplied — that  he  was 
not  only  known  to  them  by  the  name  Jehovah, 
but  by  that  of  El  Shaddai.  Such,  according  to 
Dr.  Gill,  was  the  view  of  Saadais  Gaon,  a  Jewish 
Rabbi,  head  of  a  school  at  Sora,  near  Babylon, 
author  of  an  Arabic  translation  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, &c.  who  flourished  A.  D.  930.  This  inter- 
pretation is  supported  by  a  reference  to  Gen.  xxxii. 
28  :  "  Thou  shalt  no  more  be  called  Jacob,  but 
Israel,"  where  the  meaning  necessarily  is  :  "  Thou 
shalt  no  more  be  called  Jacob  only — but  Israel 
likewise." 

Some  again  propose  to  read  the  passage  interroga- 
tively :  "  By  my  name  Jehovah,  was  I  not  known?" 
An  affirmative  answer  being  supplied. 

The  explanation  most  generally  approved,  how- 
ever, is  that  furnished  in  the  following  paraphrase. 
69 


546  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

To  your  ancestors,  I  have  shown  myself  to  be  the 
Almighty ;  but  as  a  God,  faithful,  unchangeable, 
(the  idea  involved  in  the  term  Jehovah,)  and 
fulfilling  the  promises  which  I  gave  them  concern- 
ing the  occupation  of  the  land  of  Canaan — they 
have  not  known — had  no  experience  of  me.  He 
does  not  intend  that  the  name  itself  was  unheard  of 
by  the  ancestors  of  Moses — but  that  they  had  not 
seen  brought  to  pass  what  was  signified  by  that 
name — as  among  the  sacred  writers  "  to  be  called," 
is  sometimes  the  same  as  "  to  be,"  so  here  the 
name  is  denied  to  one,  who  has  not  yet  exhibited 
the  character,  or  exercised  the  influence  involved 
in  it.  See  the  subject  more  fully  developed  in 
Rosenmueler. 

I  must  not,  however,  omit  to  mention,  that  an 
elaborate  investigation  has  been  made  of  this  sub- 
ject in  a  late  number  of  the  Biblical  Repository,  by 
an  American  writer,  who  has  proposed  a  new,  and 
as  he  thinks,  more  satisfactory  interpretation.  Not, 
however,  regarding  it  as  preferable  to  the  one  above 
stated,  I  shall  content  myself  with  referring  to  the 
article  itself.* 

In  connection  with  the  topic  now  under  dis- 
cussion, and  with  a  view  to  deprive  the  Jews  of 
all  originality  whatever  in  their  religious  system,  it 
has  been  asserted  that  even  the  name  Jehovah — 

*  Bib.  Rep.  No.  xii.  Art.  4. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  547 

the  most  remarkable  appellative  of  the  God  whom 
they  worshipped — was  derived  from  the  Phoeni- 
cians and  Egyptians.  The  existence  of  such  an 
opinion,  furnishes  a  remarkable  exemplification  of 
the  facility  with  which  error  is  transmitted  from 
one  writer  to  many  succeeding  ones — who  are 
content  to  receive,  without  examination,  the  as- 
sertions of  those  who  have  gone  before  them.  No 
principle  seems  to  have  been  generally  recognized 
as  a  more  certain  truth  than  that  the  name 
Jehovah,  or,  /«w,  was  known  to  the  nations  above 
mentioned.  Yet  Professor  Tholuck  of  Halle,  has 
shown  to  a  perfect  demonstration  the  total  fallacy 
of  this  supposition.* 

He  traces  the  general  prevalence  of  this  opinion 
to  Schiller's  Essay  on  the  Mission  of  Moses,  the 
leading  ideas  of  which  are  derived  from  the  book  of 
Brother  Decius,  or  the  Hebrew  Mysteries  by  the 
celebrated  Reinhold.  The  latter  individual  who 
speaks  of  the  Egyptian  origin  of  the  name  Jehovah 
as  a  well  known  fact,  introduces  as  a  guaranty, 
Voltaire,  who  says :  "  The  most  sacred  name 
among  the  Egyptians  was  the  same  which  the 
Hebrews  afterwards  adopted  in  their  language,  viz. 
I-ha-ho.  This  was  pronounced  in  various  ways, 
and  Clemens  Alexandrinus  assures  us,  in  his 
Stromata,  that  no  one  might  enter  the  temple  of 

Serapis,  who  did  not  bear  on  his  breast  or  forehead 

, . 

*  Bib.  Rep.  No.  xiii.  3. 


548  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

the    name    I-ha-ho,    or    Jao,    which   denotes    the 
eternal  God." 

"  What  a  remarkable  fact  of  antiquity,"  observes 
Tholuck ;  "  but — if  it  could  only  be  found  in 
Clement ;  I  have  never  succeeded  in  finding  it." 
This  able  writer,  whom  I  have  just  quoted,  pro- 
ceeds to  investigate  the  grounds  of  the  opinion, 
the  history  of  which  he  had  just  given.  He  sets 
out  with  the  statement  that  not  one  single  ancient 
writer  affirms  that  God  was  called  /«&>  by  the 
Egyptians ;  and  he  establishes  this  statement  be- 
yond all  dispute,  by  an  examination  of  the  few 
passages  usually  cited  on  the  subject.  The  first  is 
Diodorus  Siculus,  i.  94,  where  the  author  speaking 
of  the  Egyptians  incidentally  makes  the  observation  : 
"  It  is  related  that  among  the  Hebrews,  Moses 
professed  to  have  received  his  law  from  the  God 
Jao."  The  whole  paragraph  in  the  original  may 
be  seen  in  the  Biblical  Repository,  No.  xiii.  p.  95. 
No  one  can  avoid  sympathizing  in  the  astonishment 
expressed  by  Tholuck,  that  any  author  should  have 
quoted  this  as  sustaining  the  belief  of  the  Egyptian 
origin  of  the  word  in  question,  nor  avoid  concurring 
in  the  supposition  that  there  was  some  unaccount- 
able slip  of  the  memory  in  the  writer  who  first 
cited  the  passage,  and  that  the  error  once  com- 
mitted, has  been  successively  propagated  by  those 
who  adopted  the  quotation  without  verifying  it. 
In  addition  to  the  passage  from  Diodorus,  only 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  549 

two  testimonies  of  antiquity  have  been  brought 
forward  to  show  that  the  name  Jehovah,  or  Jao, 
existed  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Mosaic  institu- 
tions; the  one  from  Macrobius,  proving,  it  is 
thought,  the  employment  of  this  name  in  the 
Grecian  mysteries — the  other  in  Porphyry,  showing 
its  existence  among  the  Phoenicians.  Macrobius 
flourished  in  the  first  part  of  the  fifth  century  of 
the  Christian  era,  under  Theodosius  the  younger. 
The  passage  in  his  writings  above  referred  to, 
consists  of  verses  ascribed  to  Apollo  Clarius.  Ac- 
cording to  Tholuck,  Jablonsky,  in  his  Pantheon 
Egyptiacum,  has  clearly  shown  that  these  verses 
belong  to  a  Judaizing  Gnostic.  Besides,  does  the 
knowledge  of  the  name  Jao,  among  the  Greeks,  or 
Egyptians,  or  Orientals  of  Western  Asia,  in  the 
second  or  third  century  of  our  era,  prove  that  it 
originated  among  them,  and  not  rather  that  it  was 
derived  from  the  Jews  then  universally  dispersed  ? 

"  We  know  from  Jamblicus,  that  the  syncretic 
theosophists  of  that  age  were  accustomed  to  adopt 
foreign  names  of  God,  and  employ  them  in  their 
incantations." — Tholuck. 

The  passage  from  Porphyry,  is  professedly  de- 
rived from  Sanchoniathon,  and  is  preserved  by  two 
of  the  fathers  of  the  church,  Eusebius  and  Theo- 
doret.  It,  however,  fails  entirely  in  answering  the 
end  for  which  it  is  cited.  Porphyry  simply  says, 
"  Sanchoniathon  gave  a  true  account  of  the  Jewish 


550  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

history,  and  this  because  he  received  his  accounts 
from  a  priest  of  lew  " — Jevo. 

There  are  two  other  data  which  are  supposed  to 
furnish  proof  of  the  hypothesis  which  I  am  opposing, 
one  of  which  is  an  inscription  on  the  temple  of  Isis 
at  Sais,  transmitted  by  Plutarch,  but  of  which  no 
mention  is  made  by  Herodotus,  or  Diodorus,  or 
Strabo.  For  an  exposure  of  the  insufficiency  of 
these  testimonials,  the  reader  must,  however,  be  re- 
ferred to  the  article  of  Tholuck,  where  entire  satis- 
faction may  be  obtained. 

The  present  section  has  already  reached  an  undue 
length,  and  we  have  yet  before  us  a  class  of  objec- 
tions, which,  if  I  mistake  not,  our  author  regards 
as  particularly  forcible.  The  next  section  will  con- 
tain an  examination  of  their  validity. 


SECTION    XII. 

Objection  to  its  genuineness,  derived  from  the  alleged  fact,  that 
Moses  was  unacquainted  with  Hebrew,  the  Egyptian  being  his 
vernacular  language. 

To  the  class  of  objections  discussed  in  the  last 
section,  belong  the  suggestion,  "  that  Moses  wras 
never  out  of  Egypt,  except  so  far  as  the  land  of 
Moab,"  and  the  consecutive  inquiry,  "  What  could 
induce  him  to  place  Paradise  upon  the  Euphrates  ? 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  551 

And  what  could  he  know  of  Pison,  and  Gihon,  and 
Hiddekel  ?  "  Prior,  therefore,  to  the  consideration 
of  the  difficulty  stated  at  the  head  of  the  present 
essay,  it  will  be  necessary  to  inquire  how  far  the 
Hebrew  lawgiver  was  qualified  by  his  attainments 
in  geographical  knowledge,  at  least,  for  communi- 
cating the  information  contained  in  the  book  of 
Genesis.  It  is  thought  that  the  above  stated  ques- 
tions, although  captiously  proposed,  will,  in  their 
solution,  lead  to  the  adoption  of  views  entirely  at 
variance  with  the  result  at  which  the  author  of  them 
hoped  to  arrive.  For  where,  in  the  whole  range  of 
history,  may  we  find  an  individual  in  whom  so  many 
qualifications  for  writing  the  production  in  question, 
meet,  as  in  Moses — descended  from  Chaldean  an- 
cestors— nurtured  at  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  and  in- 
structed in  all  the  learning  of  the  Egyptians — 
having,  doubtless,  intercourse  with  the  Phoenician 
merchants,  whose  pursuits  led  them  to  all  parts  of 
the  world  then  accessible  to  commercial  enterprise ; 
and  who,  in  fine,  spent  eighty  years  of  his  life  in 
Arabia — during  forty  of  which  as  a  private  indi- 
vidual, his  acquaintance  must  have  been  extensive 
with  the  Nomadic  tribes  who  ranged  from  Egypt  to 
the  Euphrates,  and  who  throughout  the  forty  years 
succeeding,  as  the  leader  of  the  Israelites,  had  ex- 
tensive dealings,  peaceful  as  well  as  warlike,  with 
various  surrounding  nations.  Surely,  it  is  alone 
necessary  to  direct  the  reader's  attention  to  the 


652  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

facts  thus  hastily  enumerated,  to  produce  in  him  a 
feeling  of  surprise  that  any  one  should  for  a  moment 
have  questioned  the  entire  competency  of  Moses, 
to  furnish  all  the  geographical  and  historical  details 
which  are  contained  in  the  early  Hebrew  writings — 
and  when  the  question  recurs,  "  What  could  induce 
Moses  to  place  Paradise  upon  the  Euphrates  ?  "  we 
have  only  to  answer,  that  there  was  the  first  seat  of 
the  human  race,  arid  that  with  this  fact  the  historian 
had  ample  means  of  becoming  acquainted. 

But  let  us  now  advance  to  the  consideration  of 
the  objection,  "  that  Moses  and  the  Israelites  did 
not,  and  could  not  write,  or  read,  or  speak  Hebrew, 
which  was  the  language  of  the  Phoenicians  and 
Canaanites,  until  after  the  invasion  and  peaceable 
settlement  of  the  promised  land."  What  then  is 
the  proof  of  this  startling  assertion  ?  It  is  said 
"  that  Chaldee  was  Abraham's  native  language,  and 
that  Hebrew  was  the  language  of  the  Canaanites 
which  Abraham  and  his  posterity  learnt  by  trav- 
elling among  them."  Who  doubts  this?  And  yet 
our  author,  prodigal  of  testimony  where  none  is 
wanted,  cites  in  support  of  it,  Dr.  Rees,  and  his 
authorities  quoted  under  the  head  «  Hebrew  char- 
acter,' in  the  Encyclopedia — which  authorities  are 
Le  Clerc,  and  Joseph  Scaliger,  and  Walton,  and 
Selden. 

I  have  said,  who  questions  the  statement  above 
made  ?  I  know  of  no  other  but  Dr.  Cooper  him- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  553 

self,  who  leans  on  it  for  support,  and  jet  who 
professes  to  disbelieve  it  in  part.  He  admits  that 
Abraham  acquired  the  Hebrew  language,  but 
"  naturally  infers  that  he  would  not  teach  it  to  his 
descendants,  from  his  great  reluctance  to  permit 
Isaac  to  marry  in  Canaan."  However  natural  may 
be  this  inference,  it  appears  to  be  not  only  entirely 
without  proof,  but  opposed  by  the  learned  authori- 
ties which  are  above  quoted,  and  conclusively 
shown  to  be  false  by  a  passage  in  the  patriarchal 
history.  Respect  is  had  to  Genesis  xxxi.  46,  47, 
where  at  the  parting  of  Jacob,  and  his  father-in-law 
Laban,  a  pile  of  stones  was  erected  as  a  memorial 
of  a  covenant  into  which  they  had  entered.  "  Laban 
called  it  Jegar-sahadutha,  but  Jacob  called  it 
Galeed."  Their  languages  were  therefore  dif- 
ferent— Laban  spoke  Chaldee,  but  Jacob,  the 
grandson  of  Abraham,  and  the  progenitor  of  the 
Israelites,  who  at  the  close  of  his  life,  with  his 
family,  made  Egypt  his  permanent  residence,  spoke 
a  different  dialect  which  was  Hebrew.  It  appears 
then  to  be  incontrovertible  that  not  only  did  Abra- 
ham, according  to  the  admission  of  our  antagonist, 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  but  that  this  also 
became  the  language  of  his  descendants.  And  all 
this  occurred  by  a  process  the  easiest  imaginable — 
Hebrew  and  Chaldee,  now  cognate  dialects,  nearly 
resembling  each  other,  originally  presented  still  less 
diversity  than  is  at  present  manifest.  For  accord- 
70 


554  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

ing  to  the  opinions  of  almost  all  critics,  there  was 
originally  but  one  language  in  that  section  of  Asia, 
which  includes  the  region  of  the  Euphrates,  Syria, 
Palestine,  and  Arabia.  The  original  identity  of 
the  languages  subsequently  .prevalent  throughout 
this  part  of  the  world,  is  proved,  not  merely  by 
their  having  many  words  in  common,  but  by  their 
whole  genius  and  structure.  It  is  generally  sup- 
posed that  a  full  exhibition  of  this  primitive  speech 
is  furnished  by  no  one  of  those  derived  from  it ; 
and  that  these  latter  have,  by  their  respective 
deviations  from  it,  assumed  their  specific  character. 
Many,  however,  do  assert  that  the  Hebrew  itself  is 
that  primeval  tongue  which  gave  rise  according  to 
Gesenius : — 1.  To  the  Aramean,  spoken  in  Syria, 
Mesopotamia,  and  Babylon,  and  which  includes  the 
West  Aramean  or  Syriac,  and  the  East  Aramean  or 
Chaldee  ;  2.  To  the  Hebrew  spoken  in  Palestine 
and  Phoenicia,  from  which  the  Punic  is  descended  ; 
and  3.  To  the  Arabic,  with  which  the  Ethiopic  is 
nearly  allied.  The  claims  of  the  Hebrew  to  this 
prerogative  are  well  stated  in  an  article  of  the 
Biblical  Repertory — Princeton,  Vol.  II.,  No.  2,  p. 
320,  on  the  Antiquity,  History,  &c.  of  the  Hebrew 
language. 

But  to  recur  to  the  course  of  our  argument ; 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  Israelites  carried  the 
Hebrew  language  with  them  to  Egypt — the  contrary 
opinion  is  not  only  totally  without  evidence,  but  in 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  555 

direct  opposition  to  it.  The  question  then  is — 
did  they  lose  it  during  their  continuance  in  that 
country  ?  Our  opponent  thinks  that  they  did.  He 
asserts  that  they  adopted  the  Egyptian  language, 
and  that  they  did  not  acquire  that  of  Canaan  until 
after  the  entire  conquest  of  the  promised  land,  per- 
haps in  the  reign  of  Solomon.  Truly,  we  may 
adopt  the  remark  of  our  author  with  some  slight 
variation  :  "  The  hardihood  of  assertion  exhibited 
by  the  patrons  of  heterodoxy  is  absolutely  amaz- 
ing." To  sustain  the  fact  which  Dr.  Cooper 
assumes,  there  is  not  the  least  show  of  evidence  in 
the  Jewish  records  themselves,  nor  the  testimony  of 
a  single  author,  nor,  as  far  as  my  information 
extends,  the  corroborating  opinion  of  any  modern 
writer.  This  is  the  first  instance  in  which  I  have 
not  been  able  to  trace  Dr.  Cooper's  reasonings  and 
objections  to  some  source  beyond  himself,  and 
regarding  this  as  a  specimen  of  his  inventiv?e  pow- 
ers, there  is  no  reason  to  apprehend  that  the  cause 
of  revelation  is  placed  in  greater  peril  by  the  assaults 
of  this  new  champion,  than  it  has  frequently  been 
in  days  past.  In  the  absence  then  of  any  shadow 
of  proof,  how  is  it  attempted  to  show  that  the 
Israelites  lost  their  language  in  Egypt  ?  Simply 
by  a  reference  to  an  analogous  instance,  in  which  a 
similar  result  is  supposed  to  have  taken  place.  I 
allude  to  the  Babylonish  captivity.  Now  admitting 
for  the  present,  that  the  Jews  did  totally  lose  their 


556  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

language  during  the  seventy  years'  transportation,  it 
would  not  follow  that  their  ancestors  had  lost  it 
during  their  abode  in  Egypt,  even  for  a  period  still 
longer.  The  cases  are  marked  by  strong  features 
of  discrimination.  The  Jews,  when  carried  beyond 
the  Euphrates,  were  much  dispersed — their  commu- 
nication with  each  other,  in  consequence,  much 
obstructed — and  there  was  nothing  in  their  political 
or  civil  condition  which  tended  to  perpetuate  their 
language.  But  how  different  were  the  circum- 
stances of  their  ancestors,  at  a  former  period,  even 
wrhen  most  depressed  by  Egyptian  servitude  ;  they 
had  gone  down  to  Egypt  as  the  kindred  of  an  highly 
distinguished  favorite  and  minister  of  the  king  of 
the  country.  There  had  been  assigned  to  them  a 
distinct  portion  of  the  land  as  their  peculiar  and 
exclusive  possession.  This  had  been  the  result  of 
the  provident  management  of  Joseph  himself,  who 
was  anxious  to  preserve  his  family  from  the  cor- 
rupting influence  of  Egyptian  customs  and  supersti- 
tions. He  had  directed  his  brethren  to  announce 
themselves  to  Pharaoh,  as  shepherds,  with  the 
avowed  object  of  obtaining  for  them  a  place  of 
abode,  of  which  they  would  be  the  exclusive 
occupants,  inasmuch  as  "  every  shepherd  is  an 
abomination  to  the  Egyptians."  Gen.  xlvi.  34. 

Occupying,  therefore,  the  land  of  Goshen,  admi- 
rably suited  to  their  pastoral  occupations,  and  for 
more  than  a  hundred  years  distinguished  by  the 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  557 

royal  favor,  it  is  not  surprising  that  "  the  children 
of  Israel  were  fruitful,  and  increased  abundantly, 
and  multiplied,  and  waxed  exceedingly  mighty,  and 
the  land  was  filled  with  them.  Ex.  i.  7.  Under 
these  circumstances  no  one  can  suppose  that  they 
lost  their  language,  nor  was  this  effect  to  be  antici- 
pated when  a  reverse  was  experienced  by  them,  and 
the  munificence  of  former  kings  was  followed  by 
the  oppression  of  their  successor.  Still  the  He- 
brews remained  in  a  body.  They  were  not  slaves, 
occupying  a  station  of  domestic  servitude — they 
were  the  disfranchised  subjects  of  a  despotic  mon- 
arch— in  lieu  of  a  heavy  pecuniary  tribute,  severe 
and  continued  labors  were  exacted  from  them.  But 
out  of  this  condition  grew  neither  the  necessity  nor 
the  inducement  to  adopt  the  language  of  their 
oppressors — no  necessity,  inasmuch  as  the  daily 
intercourse  of  life  could  be  maintained  in  the 
Hebrew — no  inducement,  for  they  could  not  admire 
nor  wish  to  imitate  a  speech  which  had  then 
become  the  vehicle  only  of  arbitrary  mandates  or 
stern  reproaches. 

That  they  should  therefore  have  relinquished  the 
use  of  their  own  language  in  order  to  the  adoption 
of  that  of  Egypt,  is  an  assumption  as  utterly  im- 
probable as  it  is  altogether  destitute  of  evidence. 
But  in  case  this  had  been  done,  how  would  the 
dialect  of  Canaan,  ever  have  come  into  use  among 
the  Israelites.  If  according  to  our  author,  they 


558  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

refused  to  adopt  it,  while  they  were  yet  a  single 
family  of  wandering  shepherds,  sustaining  amicable 
relations,  and  having  daily  intercourse  with  the  in- 
habitants of  the  land,  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  they 
would  do  this — when  as  a  conquering  nation  they 
entered  Palestine— when  they  were  the  executors 
of  the  divine  judgments  upon  a  devoted  people,  and 
when  they  were  forbidden  to  retain,  even  as  slaves, 
those  whom  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  nations  had 
adjudged  to  death  for  their  crimes  ?  And  although 
a  portion  of  this  condemned  race,  was,  under  the 
arrangements  of  Providence,  permitted  to  occupy, 
for  several  generations,  a  part  of  their  original 
territory,  and  occasionally  to  harass,  and  even 
sometimes  subjugate  the  Israelites,  yet  in  all  this, 
there  was  nothing  which  could  induce  the  latter  to 
substitute  for  their  own  language  that  of  a  rival  and 
most  odious  people. 

But  in  the  considerations  presented  above,  I  have 
admitted  a  fact,  upon  which  alone  rests  even  the 
semblance  of  an  argument  offered  by  our  adversary. 
I  have  conceded  the  point,  that  the  Jews  did  lose 
their  language  during  the  Babylonian  captivity. 
Had  this  been  really  the  case,  the  alleged  result 
would  have  been  greatly  facilitated  by  the  striking 
similarity  of  the  Chaldee  and  Hebrew  dialect. 

But  the  fact  thus  admitted,  is  by  no  means 
unquestionable.  It  is,  on  the  contrary,  extremely 
improbable  that  the  Jews  after  their  restoration  to 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  559 

their  own  land,  spoke  only  the  Chaldee.  This 
opinion  which  has  been  very  generally  entertained, 
is  supported  principally  by  the  passage  in  Nehemiah 
viii.  8,  where  an  account  is  given  of  the  solemn 
recital  of  the  law  under  the  direction  of  Ezra — 
"  So  they  read  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  God 
distinctly,  and  gave  the  sense,  and  caused  them 
to  understand  the  reading."  But  this  statement, 
which  is  supposed  to  refer  to  a  translation  of  the 
law  from  Hebrew  into  Chaldee,  made  by  the 
Levites  in  the  course  of  their  reading,  may  well 
be  understood  of  such  an  interpretation  or  illustra- 
tion of  the  sacred  text,  as  is  now  given  by  Christian 
teachers  in  their  ordinary  ministrations.  In  confir- 
mation of  this  view,  we  may  add,  that  the  prophets, 
after  the  captivity,  addressed  the  people  in  Hebrew, 
and  that  Nehemiah,  xiii.  24,  speaks  of  those  who 
by  their  marriage  with  the  daughters  of  Ashdod, 
brought  up  their  children  to  speak  partly  the 
language  of  Ashdod  and  partly  that  of  the  Jews. 
Doubtless,  during  their  residence  in  a  foreign  land, 
many  of  the  Jews  either  acquired  its  language  in 
full,  or  adopted  a  mixed  dialect.  The  effect  thus 
begun  to  be  produced,  was  continued  and  increased 
by  the  ascendency  of  the  Syrian  monarchy  under 
the  Seleucidae,  and  the  final  result,  after  several 
ages,  was  the  establishment  of  the  Syro-Chaldaic — 
a  mixture  of  the  East  and  West  Aramean  as  the 
vernacular  language  of  Palestine.  But  this  process 


560  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

was  one  which  went  on  very  gradually,  for  in  the 
time  of  the  Maccabees,  we  find  inscriptions  on  coins 
which  prove  that  the  use  of  the  Hebrew  was  not 
then  abandoned. 

It  appears  that  even  the  single  analogous  in- 
stance upon  which  Dr.  C.  grounds  his  opinion,  that 
the  Hebrews  lost  their  language  in  Egypt,  is  a 
very  dubious  one — and  that  of  any  other  proof,  his 
assertion  is  entirely  destitute.  We  must,  therefore, 
regard  his  objection,  that  Moses,  speaking  in  Egyp- 
tian, could  not  have  written  a  book  in  Hebrew,  as 
completely  overthrown. 


SECTION    XIII, 

Alleged  impossibility  of  such  a  work  having  been  produced  in  the 
age  of  Moses,  derived  from  a  consideration  of  the  characters  then 
used  in  writing,  and  the  substances  upon  which  they  were  im- 


IT  was  a  favorite  object  with  the  philosopher  of 
Ferney,  in  his  numerous  diatribes  against  the  Jews 
and  their  religion,  to  establish  the  principle  above 
stated.  He  asserts,  "  that  in  the  time  of  Moses, 
hieroglyphic  writing  only  was  in  use,  and  that  the 
art  of  engraving  upon  polished  stone,  upon  brick, 
upon  lead,  and  upon  wood,  was  the  only  method  of 
writing,  and  that  the  Egyptians  and  Chaldeans  wrote 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  561 

in  no  other  way."  It  was  therefore  Mons.  Voltaire's 
opinion  that  nations  employed  more  difficult  pro- 
cesses in  the  earlier  than  in  the  later  period  of  their 
existence,  although  he  has  elsewhere  observed  that 
"  before  hieroglyphics,  men  painted  their  conceptions 
in  a  clumsy  manner."  The  use  of  colors,  then,  by 
his  own  showing,  being  known,  it  would  have  been 
much  easier  to  have  traced  figures  by  their  means 
upon  cloth,  or  other  light  substances,  than  to  have 
engraven  them  upon  stone  and  metal.  But  we  shall 
pass  by  this  consideration  at  present,  and  remark, 
that  he  seems  at  a  subsequent  period  to  have  learned 
that  the  Jews  employed  at  least  one  more  facile 
method  of  representing  their  ideas — i.  e.  by  tracing 
characters  in  soft  plaster  with  which  stones  were 
covered.  Of  this  discovery,  our  author,  upon  whom 
the  mantle  of  the  patriarch  of  French  literature 
seems  to  have  fallen,  has  availed  himself,  and  with 
singular  ingratitude,  in  adopting  and  appropriating 
it,  has  flatly  contradicted  the  opinion  maintained  by 
his  instructor — that  engraving  upon  polished  stone, 
&c.,  was  in  use  among  the  Egyptians.  For  he 
peremptorily  denies  that  Moses,  who  came  out  of 
Egypt,  and  whose  circumstances  there  had  been 
such  as  to  forbid  the  supposition  that  he  was  not 
acquainted  with  its  arts,  knew  any  other,  or  better 
mode  of  writing,  than  the  tracing  of  characters  in 
soft  plaster  spread  over  stone. 

There  seems,  moreover,  to  be  a  want  of  entire 
71 


562  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

coincidence  of  sentiment  between  these  two  great 
men  on  another  subject.  The  one  asserts  that 
hieroglyphic  writing  only,  was  in  use  in  the  time  of 
Moses — the  other  seems  to  leave  the  matter  in  doubt, 
although  afterwards,  with  no  .great  consistency,  he 
affirms,  in  reference  to  the  particular  instance  of  the 
Jewish  historian,  that  "  he  did  not  write  one  line  of 
phonetic  Egyptian."  I  shall  cite  in  full  what  he 
says  on  this  subject,  with  a  view  to  the  addition  of 
some  critical  remarks.  On  page  36  of  Geol.  and 
Pent.,  we  meet  the  following  passage  :  "  in  what 
language  Moses  wrote,  whether  in  the  hieratic  or 
phonetic  hieroglyphics  of  the  Egyptians,  in  which 
we  are  to  presume  he  was  instructed,  is  no  where 
said."  In  this  passage  I  would  note  two  things. 
One  is  a  new  and  surprising  use  of  the  word  lan- 
guage, where  the  appropriate  term  would  have  been 
character.  We  do  not  speak  of  the  hieratic  or 
hieroglyphic  language — but  of  the  hieratic  or  hiero- 
glyphic character,  or  mode  of  representing  ideas  by 
one  set  of  sensible  images  rather  than  another.  In- 
tending to  express  the  fact  that  our  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures are  written  in  the  Chaldee  character,  or  letters, 
we  would  not  say  they  were  written  in  the  Chaldee 
language.  This,  however,  may  have  been  an  over- 
sight committed  in  the  haste  of  composition  ;  but 
there  cannot  be  given  the  same  excuse  for  the  error 
which  is  the  subject  of  my  second  remark. 

There  is  displayed  in  the  passage  upon  which  I 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  563 

arn  commenting,  an  utter  confusion  of  ideas  in  re- 
ference to  the  modes  of  writing  in  use  among  the 
Egyptians.  We  have  here  a  phonetic,  hieroglyphic 
language  of  this  people,  distinguished  from  a  hieratic, 
hieroglyphic  language.  What  a  total  incongruity 
and  absurdity  there  is  in  these  expressions,  will 
appear  from  some  observations  which  I  shall  subjoin 
to  the  next  quotation.  At  page  67  of  his  pamphlet, 
Dr.  C.  again  says,  "  whether  Moses  wrote  in  the 
hieratic,  the  demotic,  or  the  phonetic  character,  or 
in  what  form  of  hieroglyphic,  or  whether  he  used 
the  ta  prota  stoicheia,  described  in  the  Stromata  of 
Clemens  Alexandrinus,  I  shall  not  stop  to  inquire." 
Here  is  dust  thrown  into  the  eyes  of  the  unlearned. 
He  does  not  intend  to  investigate  the  subject,  but 
thinks  it  well  to  excite  the  admiration  of  the  won- 
dering multitude  by  the  display  of  an  acquaintance 
with  all  the  intricacies  of  the  ancient  Egyptian 
learning.  Unfortunately,  however,  there  are  almost 
as  many  errors  as  there  are  words  in  the  sentence 
above  cited.  In  the  first  place  he  distinguishes  the 
phonetic  from  the  hieratic  and  demotic  character; 
whereas  the  former  is  only  a  particular  class  of  signs, 
common  to  the  different  kinds  of  writing  expressed 
by  the  two  last  mentioned  terms.  Phonetic  is  op- 
posed, not  to  hieratic  or  demotic,  but  to  ideographic. 
A  phonetic  character,  is  one  expressing  sound,  such 
as  the  letters  of  our  alphabet,  which  do  not  present 
ideas,  but  words :  whereas  an  ideographic  character 


564  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

is  expressive  of  the  object  itself,  and  does  not  merely 
enter  into  the  composition  of  a  word  by  which  it  is 
designated.  Again,  the  clause,  "  or  in  what  form 
of  hieroglyphics,"  either  implies  that  the  hieratic, 
demotic  and  phonetic  were  distinct  species  of  hiero- 
glyphic writing,  of  which  there  were  other  kinds, 
or  that  this  hieroglyphic  writing  was  something  en- 
tirely different  from  the  modes  of  representing  ideas 
denoted  by  the  terms  first  mentioned.  Now  the 
hieratic  and  demotic,  were  not  subdivisions  of  hiero- 
glyphic writing,  but  they  were  two  independent 
kinds  of  writing  in  general,  in  use  among  the  Egyp- 
tians, of  which  the  hieroglyphic  was  a  third  and 
collateral  one.  To  make  this  entirely  clear,  let  the 
following  remarks  be  attended  to.  The  most  defi- 
nite information  respecting  the  written  character  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians,  is  derived  from  a  passage  of 
Clemens  Alexandrinus  in  his  Stromata,  Lib.  v.  Tom. 
ii.  p.  657.  With  this  concur  substantially  the  brief 
statements  of  Herodotus  and  Diodorus.  The  in- 
formation given  by  Clement,  was  however  never 
rendered  perfectly  intelligible  until  the  recent  dis- 
coveries of  Champollion,  with  which  it  presents  a 
remarkable  correspondence.  M.  Letronne,  in  a 
letter  to  Champollion,  published  in  the  Precis  du 
Systeme  Hieroglyphique,  has  given  a  translation  of 
this  celebrated  passage  of  the  Christian  father,  with 
a  comment  illustrating  it.* 

*  See  an  Essay  on  the  Hieroglyphic  System  of  Mons.  Champollion 
by  J.  G.  H.  Greppo,  p.  26,  Boston  eel. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  565 

There  are,  says  Clement,  three  kinds  of  Egyptian 
letters.  1.  The  epistolographic,  2.  The  hieratic, 
3.  The  hieroglyphic.  Herodotus  and  Diodorus 
furnish  but  two  classes — the  demotic  or  popular, 
and  the  hieratic  or  sacred.  It  appears  that  they 
grouped  together  under  one  denomination  the  two 
last  divisions  of  Clement. 

All  the  three  kinds  of  writing  mentioned  by  him 
have  been  recognized  upon  the  monuments  by 
Champollion— on  the  famous  Rosetta  stone,  how- 
ever, the  term  enchorial,  national,  or  belonging  to 
the  country,  was  used  to  express  what  Clement 
calls  epistolographic  and  the  Greek  historians  de- 
motic. "  The  demotic  writing  was  the  most  flowing 
and  simple  of  the  three,  and  employed  chiefly 
phonetic  or  alphabetic  sounds.  The  hieratic,  less 
simple  than  the  demotic,  differs  from  the  hieroglyphic 
in  the  delineation  of  its  characters,  which  are  a  kind 
of  reduction,  or  rather  the  tachygraphy  (the  short 
hand)  of  the  hieroglyphic  signs  to  which  they  cor- 
respond. It  employs  much  fewer  ideographic  signs 
than  the  hieroglyphic,  but  more  than  the  demotic  or 
popular  writing.  But  in  their  phonetic  parts,  these 
three  writings  form  (so  to  speak)  but  one,  their  only 
difference  consisting  in  the  differently  formed  signs 
which  they  employ."* 

With  this  explanation  of  the  Egyptian  system  of 
writing,  the  reader  may  at  once  perceive  how  ex- 

*  Greppo's  Essay,  pp.  28,  29. 


566  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUdH. 

tremely  inaccurate  and  confused  are  the  terms  in 
which  Dr.  C.  refers  to  it.  Nor  is  his  allusion  to  the 
ta  prota  stoicheia  of  Clement  at  all  more  happy — 
he  speaks  of  these  as  a  certain  class  of  written  char- 
acters totally  distinct  from  hieroglyphics,  whereas 
they  constitute  one  of  the  two  kinds  of  signs  em- 
ployed in  the  hieroglyphic  method. — "  This  writing, 
i.  e.  the  hieroglyphic,  says  Clement,  is  of  two 
kinds  ;  one  of  these  the  cyriologic  employs  the 
primitive  alphabetic  letters ;  the  other  is  symbolic." 
Such  is  M.  Letronne's  translation,  in  which  it  is  to 
be  observed  that  he  renders  ngwuv  awxsuav,  the 
primitive  alphabetic  letters.  For  an  illustration  of 
the  correctness  of  this  version,  see  Greppo's  Essay, 
p.  30.  This  passage  then  merely  confirms  the 
statement  already  made,  that  in  the  hieroglyphic 
writing  some  of  the  signs  were  symbolic  or  ideo- 
graphic, i.  e.  expressive  of  ideas,  while  others  were 
phonetic,  i.  e.  representatives  of  sound — in  other 
words  alphabetic  characters.  Such  then  is  the  ac- 
curacy of  our  author's  learning  ;  I  shall  now  exhibit 
a  rare  specimen  of  his  logic.  After  having  in  the 
first  extract  from  his  pamphlet  which  is  given  above, 
admitted  that  Moses  was  instructed  in  the  several 
kinds  of  writing  employed  by  the  Egyptians,  and 
after  having  in  the  second,  declined  inquiring  which 
of  these  varieties  was  used  by  him,  he  advances  the 
assertion,  the  incorrectness  of  which  shall  be  shown 
in  the  sequel,  that  "  no  man  ever  yet  saw  an 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  567 

Egyptian  book,  or  part  of  a  book,  or  any  other 
historical  record  beyond  an  inscription  of  mere 
names,  till  the  settlement  of  the  Greeks  at  Alex- 
andria, under  the  Ptolemies  and  the  introduction  of 
Christianity  among  the  Copts."  By  the  way,  this 
joining  together  two  distinct  events,  three  or  four 
hundred  years  apart,  to  indicate  the  era  of  a  par- 
ticular transaction,  is  somewhat  extraordinary.  Let 
this  pass,  however,  while  we  attend  to  the  chain  of 
our  author's  reasoning.  "  Moses  therefore  did  not 
write  one  line  of  phonetic  Egyptian,  and  whether 
he  wrote  any  thing  in  any  form  of  hieroglyphic,  we 
know  not."  Here  Dr.  C.  again  uses  the  term 
phonetic,  instead  of  demotic,  to  express  the  popular 
and  most  simple  form  of  writing,  and  still  seems 
uninformed  that  many  of  the  hieroglyphic  signs 
(Champollion  says  the  greatest  number)  were  pho- 
netic. But  we  proceed  with  our  citation.  "  Upon 
these  points  his  whole  history  is  silent ;  no  wonder  ! 
What  account  could  Moses  give  of  them  ?  Did  he 
write  in  Hebrew  ?  No.  Hebrew  like  Samaritan 
is  Phoenician,"  &c.  Admirable  demonstration ! 
Moses  did  not  write  Hebrew,  but  Egyptian — and 
therefore  he  could  give  no  account  whether  he  wrote 
any  thing  in  the  phonetic  [understand  demotic]  or 
hieroglyphic  character  of  the  Egyptians.  After 
having  by  so  unexceptionable  a  process  reached  this 
irrefutable  conclusion,  he  rambles  off  with  citations 
from  Bochart  and  Petit  and  Walton,  to  prove  that 


568  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

the  Hebrew  is  identical  with  the  Phoenician.  To 
this  statement,  which  no  one  ever  dreamed  of  con- 
testing, he  adds  the  remark,  "  A  man  must  be  sadly 
ignorant  of  literary  discussions  who  doubts  this  at 
this  day."  What  an  air  of  condescending  supe- 
riority is  here  assumed  in  reference  to  the  imagined 
ignorance  of  his  opponents.  With  what  beautiful 
propriety  may  they  retort  the  observation.  A  man 
must  be  sadly  ignorant  of  the  discoveries  of  the  last 
ten  years,  to  say  nothing  of  the  investigations  of  the 
learned  for  the  last  fifteen  hundred,  who  exhibits 
such  a  total  want  of  correct  acquaintance  with  the 
system  of  writing  employed  by  one  of  the  most 
renowned  nations  of  antiquity.  But  the  merits  of 
the  question  under  consideration  are  distinct  from 
the  inquiry,  how  far  Dr.  Cooper  is  qualified  to 
sustain  the  office  which  he  assumes  to  himself  of 
being  an  instructor  in  universal  science.  The  ob- 
jections which  he  has  proposed  may  be  valid,  how- 
ever superficial  his  acquaintance  with  related  topics. 
Yet  it  is  not  foreign  from  the  object  had  in  view  in 
these  essays,  to  estimate  the  acquirements  and 
expose  the  errors  of  one,  whom  many  regard,  in  an 
eminent  manner,  as  their  guide,  philosopher,  and 
friend — and  to  whom  this  community  in  general 
have  been  too  much  accustomed  to  defer,  on  all 
points  involving  profound  literary  research.  Opin- 
ions often  attain  extended  currency,  through  the 
imagined  superiority  in  intellectual  power  or  sci- 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  569 

entific  attainment  of  him  who  promulgates  them. 
It  is  hoped  that  henceforth  no  man  will  regard  the 
decisions  of  Dr.  C.  as  conclusive  upon  any  subject, 
literary,  or  scientific,  or  moral,  where  there  is  re- 
quisite for  its  comprehension,  either  deep  learning 
or  candid  investigation. 

We  return  to  the  subjects  proposed,  and  inquire 
whether  there  is  any  reason  to  doubt  concerning 
the  production  of  the  Pentateuch  in  the  age  during 
which  it  purports  to  have  appeared,  derived  from 
the  consideration  that  the  art  of  writing  was  not 
then  in  use.  There  can  exist  in  the  mind  of  a  well 
informed  man,  no  difficulty  on  this  subject.  There 
are  the  most  satisfactory  grounds  for  concluding 
that  the  invention  of  letters  took  place  in  an  age 
long  anterior  to  that  of  Moses.  We  shall  omit  the 
consideration  of  those  pictured  representations  by 
which  we  may  suppose  men  originally  communi- 
cated their  ideas ;  and,  in  regard  to  alphabetic 
writing,  it  may  be  observed  that  all  the  early 
writers  attribute  the  invention  to  a  very  remote 
age,  and  to  some  country  of  the  East.  Cadmus, 
according  to  their  report,  introduced  letters  from 
Phoenicia  into  Greece,  B.  C.  1519 — a  little  after 
the  death  of  Moses.  Anticlides,  an  ancient  Greek 
historian,  as  quoted  by  Pliny,  vii.  57,  asserts  and 
attempts  to  prove  that  letters  were  invented  in 
Egypt  fifteen  years  before  Phoroneaus,  409  years 
after  the  deluge,  and  in  the  117th  of  Abraham. 
72 


570  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

Epigenes  informs  us  that  observations  made  on  the 
heavenly  bodies  for  720  years  at  Babylon,  were 
written  down  on  baked  tiles.  Pliny,  from  these 
statements,  draws  the  conclusion  that  the  use  of 
letters,  as  he  expresses  it,  must  have  been  eternal, 
i.  e.  very  ancient.  Jahn's  Biblical  Archaeology, 
Sect.  85.  That  Cadmus  first  introduced  letters 
into  Greece,  rests  upon  the  statement  of  Herodotus, 
L.  V.  58,  who,  however,  expresses  himself  with  an 
air  of  doubt,  using  the  limitation,  "  as  it  appears  to 
me."  He  is  contradicted  by  Diodorus  Siculus,  V. 
57,  74,  who  states  that  many  generations  before 
Cadmus,  the  Greeks  were  in  possession  of  written 
characters,  and  used  them  for  public  monuments. 
Pausanias  I.  43,  makes  mention  of  an  inscription 
which  he  had  read  at  Megara,  the  date  of  which 
was  1678  years  before  our  era,  which  was  therefore 
anterior  to  Cadmus,  and  consequently  Pelasgic. 
See  *Anthon's  Lempriere,  Art.  Pelasgi.  Mitford's 
Greece,  C.  ii.  Sec.  3,  pp.  118,  125.  Beloe's  He- 
rodotus, v.  58.  Note  by  translator.  I  might  here 
make  a  quotation  from  Voltaire,  who  asserts  that 


*  The  original  work  of  Lempriere,  remodelled,  greatly  extended 
and  vastly  improved.  The  edition  of  1833  (the  third  in  quick  suc- 
cession) contains  many  articles  of  great  interest,  involving  much 
research,  and  presenting  the  most  important  results  of  the  critical 
labors  of  the  profoundest  scholars  of  Modern  Germany.  In  its 
present  form,  although  doubtless  susceptible  of  much  improvement, 
it  is  indeed  a  Bibliotheca  Classica. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  571 

800  years  before  Moses,  there  were  books  written 
by  the  help  of  the  alphabet.  See  letters  of  certain 
Jews,  etc.  p.  68.  The  authorities,  however,  given 
above,  can  derive  no  additional  weight  from  the 
opinion  of  an  author  who  did  not  hesitate  to  express 
the  most  opposite  conclusions,  when  by  this  means 
he  could  effect  a  favorite  purpose.  In  truth  we 
might  well  dispense  with  all  the  information  which 
has  been  recited  above,  inasmuch  as  there  are  now 
actually  existing  specimens  of  alphabetic  writing, 
which  have  come  down  to  us  from  an  age  prior  to 
that  in  which  we  suppose  the  Pentateuch  to  have 
appeared.  I  allude  to  the  manuscripts  which  have 
been  deciphered  by  Champollion,  as  well  as  to  the 
monumental  inscriptions  which  he  has  enabled  us 
to  read.  These,  however,  will  again  be  brought 
up  for  our  consideration,  while  examining  the 
objection  that  "  Moses  could  not  have  written  the 
Pentateuch,  because  in  his  age  the  materials  were 
not  such  as  would  have  enabled  him  to  produce  so 
extended  a  work."  It  is  proposed  to  meet  this 
imagined  difficulty  in  the  next  section. 


572  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 


SECTION    XIV. 

Did  there  exist  in  the  age  of  Moses  any  suitable   material,  upon 
which  the  Pentateuch  might  have  been  written  ? 

"  THE  Egyptian  priests  told  all  their  chrono- 
logical lies  to  Herodotus,  but  they  proved  them 
from  no  book."  Thus  writes  our  courteous,  and 
candid,  and  accurately  informed  author,  whose 
enmity  to  the  priestly  order  loses  no  opportunity  of 
displaying  itself,  and  whose  amazing  sagacity 
enables  him  to  determine,  in  the  absence  of  all 
evidence,  what  took  place  in  a  remote  country 
more  than  two  thousand  years  ago.  Upon  what 
authority  rests  the  assertion,  that  the  Egyptian 
priests  did  not  confirm  their  statements  by  a  refer- 
ence to  any  written  documents  ?  Does  Herodotus 
declare  this  ?  Certainly  not.  He  rather  gives  us 
to  understand  the  contrary,  when  in  his  Euterpe, 
^  145,  he  says  "  the  Egyptians  profess  always  to 
have  computed  the  years  and  kept  written  accounts 
of  them  with  the  greatest  accuracy."  Surely  this 
pretension  could  not  have  be.en  supported  in 
reference  to  ancient  transactions,  of  which  the 
historian  is  speaking,  if  t^Jey  had  not  been  able  to 
exhibit  any  written  documents  even  of  a  more 
modern  date.  Does  the  assumption  then,  which 
we  are  considering,  rest  upon  the  fact  that  there 
are  now  in  existence,  no  Egyptian  writings  derived 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  573 

from  a  remote  period  ?  Were  it  even  so,  would  it 
be  at  all  surprising,  that  in  a  country  over  which 
the  tide  of  conquest  has  repeatedly  rolled,  and  in 
which  the  sway  of  barbarians  has  for  many  ages 
prevailed,  there  should  have  taken  place  a  destruc- 
tion of  all  the  productions  of  a  learned  antiquity  ? 
Concerning  Heliopolis,  whose  inhabitants  are  termed 
by  Herodotus  the  most  ingenious  of  the  Egyptians, 
where  Plato  studied  philosophy  and  Eudoxus 
astronomy,  Savary  remarks,  "  a  barbarous  Persian 
has  overthrown  her  temples,  a  fanatic  Arab  burned 
her  books,  and  one  solitary  obelisk  overlooking  her 
ruins,  says  to  passengers,  this  once  was  Heliopolis." 
But  the  fame  of  Egypt  is  not  supported  alone  by 
the  testimony  of  ancient  historians,  who  visited  it 
when  just  declining  from  its  high  and  palmy  state, 
and  recorded  the  results  of  their  own  observations 
and  inquiries ;  while  its  "  old  magnificence  is 
attested  by  its  architectural  remains,  and  the  speci- 
mens which  exist  of  its  proficiency  in  the  arts, 
useful  and  ornamdntal ;  there  is  abundant  evidence 
of  the  acquaintance  with  letters  which  distinguished 
its  people,  furnisfizd  by  the  inscriptions  which  cover 
its  temples  ana  palaces,  as  well  as  the  rolls  of 
papyrus,  which  have  been  brought  to  light  by  the 
ardent  spirit  of  modern  discovery."  Many  most 
interesting  memorials  of  the  latter  kind  have  been 
made  known  to  us  by  the  indefatigable  Frenchman, 
who  has  created  a  new  era  in  the  study  of  Egyp- 


574  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

tian  antiquities.  "  In  the  rich  collection  of  Mr. 
Sallier  at  Aix,  a  roll  of  papyrus  has  recently  been 
discovered  which  has  aroused  the  curiosity  of  all  the 
learned  of  Europe.  The  manuscript  which  is  in 
the  demotic  character  is  a  history  of  the  campaigns 
of  Rhamses  the  great.  It  gives  a  circumstantial 
account  of  his  conquest,  of  the  force  and  composi- 
tion of  his  army,  and  it  was  written  in  the  ninth 
year  of  his  reign."  *  This  great  king,  who  was  the 
Sesostris  of  Herodotus,  the  Sesoosis  of  Diodorus, 
the  Sethos  of  Manetho,  and  the  Rhamses  of  the 
monuments,  lived  about  1500  years  before  Christ, 
near  the  period  of  the  Exodus.  In  reference  to 
this  subject,  and  in  confirmation  of  what  the  mod- 
em decipherers  of  Egyptian  inscriptions  have  read, 
the  reader  may  consult  the  remarkable  passage  of 
Tacitus,  Lib.  ii.  Sec.  60,  Annals. 

We  may  thus  judge  of  the  degree  of  information 
possessed  by  a  writer,  who  asserts,  "  no  man  ever 
yet  saw  a  line  of  phonetic  Egyptian."  It  is  also 
apparent  that  papyrus  was  in  use  as  a  writing 
material,  at  a  much  earlier  period  than  has  been 
generally  supposed.  But  of  this  fact  we  have  a  yet 
more  striking  confirmation.  The  burial  vaults  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians,  their  necropoleis,  as  they  are 
termed,  among  many  other  relics  of  past  ages  have 


*  Champollion,  Bulletin  des  Sciences  Historiques,  torn  x.  p.  200, 
cited  by  Greppo,  p.  177. 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  575 

furnished  numerous  manuscripts  on  papyrus.  "Some 
filled  with  hieroglyphics  and  adorned  with  paintings 
of  the  divinities  of  Amenti  or  Egyptian  hell,  and 
with  mystic  scenes  of  the  passage  of  souls,  are  only 
repetitions  more  or  less  complete  of  a  kind  of  funeral 
ritual.  Other  manuscripts  are  traced  usually  in 
hieratic  writing.  They  present  various  kinds  of  acts 
promulgated  by  Egyptian  monarchs,  and  they  bear 
the  names  and  dates  of  the  reigns  of  these  monarchs. 
To  this  class  belong  a  series  of  papyrus  fragments, 
which  for  a  long  time  remained  unnoticed  in  the 
Turin  Museums,  but  which  have  now  been  recog- 
nized by  Champollion  !  An  immense  number  of 
acts  are  there  found,  which  belong  for  the  most 
part  to  the  eighteenth  dynasty,  and  of  which  none 
are  later  than  the  nineteenth.  But  the  most 
remarkable  of  all,  contains  an  act  of  the  fifth  year 
of  the  reign  of  Thouthmosis  III.  the  fifth  king  of 
the  eighteenth  dynasty,  who  governed  Egypt  two 
hundred  years  before  the  time  when  Moses  wrote 
the  Pentateuch."  * 

Here  then  I  might  let  the  controversy  rest ;  one 
fact  is  worth  a  thousand  theories  and  assumptions, 
and  of  that  we  are  in  possession.  We  have  a 
manuscript,  written  on  papyrus,  long  anterior  to 
Moses ;  he  might  then  have  used  the  same  material. 
But  before  dismissing  the  subject,  it  may  be  well 

*  Essay  on  the  Hieroglyphic  System,  p.  165. 


576  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

to  add  a  remark  or  two,  illustrative  of  the  merits  of 
the  question,  independently  of  the  decisive  fact 
just  stated.  We  shall  thus  perceive  that  with  no 
reference  to  facts  disclosed  by  modem  investiga- 
tion, the  assertion  that  the  only  mode  of  writing 
practised  in  the  age  of  Moses,  was  engraving  upon 
stone  or  metal,  or  the  tracing  of  characters  upon 
soft  plaster,  spread  over  the  former  substance,  is 
rash  and  unauthorized.  The  notion  entertained 
by  some,  that  papyrus  was  not  in  use  before  the 
foundation  of  Alexandria,  rests  on  the  assertion 
of  Varro.  But  Pliny  observes,  "  many  striking 
examples  are  found  which  contradict  the  opinion 
of  Varro  concerning  charts."  Caylus,  according 
to  Guilandin,  cites  also  many  similar  passages  from 
the  ancients  :  see  Diss.  sur  le  Papyrus  in  T.  xxvi. 
Memoirs  of  Academy  of  Inscriptions.  But  even 
had  the  papyrus  not  been  known  thus  early — 
there  can  be  no  question  that  many  other  mate- 
rials for  writing  would  have  been  used  before  stone 
or  metal,  which  manifestly  require,  of  all  others, 
the  most  skill  and  labor.  Every  one  must  assent 
to  the  correctness  of  the  following  remark  of  the 
Count  de  Caylus.  "  It  is  clear  that  as  soon  as 
writing  was  found  out,  it  was  laid  on  every  thing 
which  could  receive  it.  The  substances  have 
varied  according  to  times  and  countries.  It  may, 
however,  be  affirmed,  that  the  most  common  sub- 
stances and  the  lightest  for  carnage  claim  the 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  577 

preference  in  a  thing  so  necessary."  Accordingly 
we  find  on  linen  envelopes  of  the  mummies,  many 
of  which  are  not  less  than  4,000  years  old,  painted 
inscriptions.  Moreover,  Pliny  states  that  the 
Egyptians  used  the  palm-leaf  for  writing,  previously 
to  the  employment  of  papyrus.  This  was  so 
abundant  in  Palestine,  that  the  whole  country  was 
called  tfoivixT]  from  ®oii>i%t  a  palm-tree.* 

But  passing  from  the  general  question,  respecting 
the  materials  for  writing  used  by  other  nations,  let 
us  take  a  view  of  the  subject  so  far  as  the  Hebrews 
are  concerned,  and  guided  alone  by  their  historical 
records.  Our  adversary  has  attempted  to  prove 
by  these  very  records,  that  Moses  knew  of  no 
other  or  better  way  of  writing  than  by  tracing 
characters  upon  plaster  which  had  been  spread 
over  stone.  A  reference  is  made  to  Deuteronomy 
xxvii.  2,  3,  «*  And  it  shall  be  on  the  day  when  ye 
shall  pass  over  Jordan  unto  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  that  thou  shalt  set  thee 
up  great  stones  and  plaster  them  with  plaster,  and 
thou  shalt  write  upon  them  all  the  words  of  this 
law,"  &c.  Let  us  be  sure  that  we  understand 
this  passage.  Is  it  then  certain  that  the  plaster 
was  spread  over  the  surface  of  the  stones,  and 
while  in  a  soft  state  made  to  receive  certain 


*  I  am  aware  that  different  derivations  have  been  given  by  Bochart 
and  L'Abbe  Mignot. 

73 


578  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

characters  ?  In  opposition  to  this  view,  we  might 
refer  to  the  passage  in  Joshua  viii.  30,  32,  where 
an  account  is  given  of  the  execution  of  this  com- 
mand of  Moses.  No  mention  whatever  is  made 
of  plaster — it  is  simply  said,  "  and  he  wrote  there 
upon  the  stones  a  copy  of  the  law."  "  Plastering 
the  stones  with  plaster,"  may  then  have  been  done 
with  some  other  view  than  to  fit  them  for  receiving 
an  inscription.  It  will  be  remembered  that  these 
stones  were  designed  to  form  an  altar.  It  was 
customary  to  erect,  as  memorials  of  particular 
events,  and  as  altars,  where  offerings  to  God  were 
to  be  made,  piles  of  stone  rudely  put  together. 
Moses  may,  therefore,  in  the  passage  under  view, 
be  understood  as  directing  the  Hebrews  to  bestow 
more  than  ordinary  pains  in  the  construction  of 
their  altar.  Instead  of  piling  the  stones  loosely 
together,  they  were  required  to  "  cement  them 
with  cement,"  for  thus  we  may  render  "  plaster 
them  with  plaster."  According  to  another  opinion, 
the  writing  was  to  be  in  relievo,  and  the  spaces 
between  the  letters  were  filled  up  with  mortar. 
Inscriptions  in  the  East  were  frequently  executed 
in  this  way.  Dr.  Clarke  mentions,  as  in  his 
possession,  a  large  slab  of  basaltes,  on  which  there 
is  an  inscription  in  Persian,  Arabic,  and  Tamul ;  in 
the  two  former,  the  letters  are  all  raised — the 
Tamul  is  indented. 

Michaelis  supposes  that  Moses  commanded  that 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  579 

his  laws  should  be  cut  in  the  stones  themselves, 
and  then  coated  with  a  thick  crust  of  lime,  that 
the  engraving  might  continue  for  many  ages  secure 
from  all  injuries  from  the  weather  and  atmosphere, 
and  then  when  by  the  decay  of  the  covering  it 
should,  after  hundreds  or  thousands  of  years,  first 
come  to  light,  serve  to  show  to  the  latest  posterity 
whether  they  had  suffered  any  change.  An  in- 
stance somewhat  analogous  to  this,  is  presented  in 
the  case  of  Sostratus,  architect  of  the  famous  tower 
of  Pharos,  near  Alexandria,  who  while  he  cut  the 
name  of  the  then  king  of  Egypt  in  the  outer  coat  of 
lime,  took  care  to  engrave  his  own  name  secretly 
in  the  stone  below,  in  order  that  it  might  come  to 
light  in  after  times,  when  the  plaster  with  the  king's 
name  should  have  fallen  off.  For  a  full  and 
beautiful  development  of  this  theory,  see  Smith's 
Michaelis,  vol.  1,  357,  Art.  69,  Sec.  1.  Let  us 
however  grant  that  the  proper  meaning  of  the  pas- 
sage is,  that  Moses  did  direct  the  inscription  to  be 
traced  in  the  plaster  with  which  the  stones  were 
covered.  We  then  inquire  into  the  reason  of  this 
direction.  Did  it  arise  from  his  ignorance  of  any 
other  or  better  mode  of  perpetuating  his  law  ?  We 
have  satisfactory  evidence  that  it  was  not.  The 
art  of  engraving  upon  stone  and  metal  was  well 
known  and  practised  at  that  period.  I  shall  not 
cite  the  instance  of  the  tables  of  th$  law  prepared 
at  Sinai,  lest  our  author  should  assume,  without 


580  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

evidence,  that  they  too  were  covered  with  plaster. 
I  would  refer  to  the  direction  given  in  Ex.  xxviii. 
9,  11,  "And  thou  shalt  take  two  onyx  stones  and 
grave  on  them  the  names  of  the  children  of  Israel 
— with  the  work  of  an  engraver  in  stone,  like  the 
engraving  upon  a  signet,"  &c.  Again,  Ex.  xxxix. 
30,  "  And  they  made  the  plate  of  the  holy  crown 
of  pure  gold,  and  wrote  upon  it,  a  writing  like  to 
the  engraving  of  a  signet,  Holiness  to  the  Lord." 
Who  then  can  doubt  that  the  Hebrews  in  the  age 
of  Moses  understood  the  art  of  engraving  on  metal 
and  wood.  That  suitable  materials  for  committing 
to  writing  more  extended  works  were  also  in  use, 
is  implied  in  many  passages.  Let  it  not  be  ob- 
jected that  these  testimonies  are  from  a  book,  the 
authority  of  which  is  not  acknowledged  by  our 
adversaries.  It  is  to  be  remembered,  that  we  are 
not  now  considering  the  general  historical  question 
respecting  the  ancient  materials  for  writing — but 
that  we  are  rebutting  the  assertion,  that  from  the 
Pentateuch  itself,  it  appears  that  no  other  mode  of 
writing  was  known  than  the  tracing  of  characters 
upon  soft  plaster.  In  this  view  of  the  subject,  the 
evidence  against  the  assertion  amounts  to  perfect 
demonstration. 

Were  we  then  unable  to  assign  any  reason  why 
Moses  chose  this  particular  mode  of  preserving 
any  portion  of  his  law,  it  would  avail  the  adversary 
nothing.  Yet  we  may  suggest  an  explanation  of 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  581 

the  subject,  furnished  by  the  context  and  in  accor- 
dance with  the  ideas  developed  in  other  passages. 
With  the  direction  to  build  an  altar,  on  the  stones 
of  which  certain  promises  and  threats  were  to  be 
inscribed,  there  is  joined  the  prohibition  "  thou 
shalt  not  lift  up  any  iron  tool  thereon."  In  the 
account  which  is  given  in  Joshua,  of  the  execution 
of  this  command,  it  is  recorded  that  an  altar  was 
built  of  whole  stones,  over  which  no  man  hath 
lifted  any  iron.  And  in  Exodus  xx.  25,  we  read 
the  general  declaration,  "  and  if  thou  wilt  make 
me  an  altar  of  stone,  thou  shalt  not  build  it  of 
hewn  stone,  for  if  thou  lift  up  any  tool  upon  it 
thou  hast  polluted  it."  We  thus  perceive  a  very 
manifest  reason  why  an  inscription  on  an  altar 
was  not  engraved,  which  would  have  required  the 
use  of  an  iron  tool,  but  traced  in  soft  plaster,  which 
might  be  done  with  a  wooden  instrument.  In 
reference  to  the  farther  inquiry,  respecting  the 
intention  of  the  general  law  above  recited,  we 
may  accept  the  solution  offered  by  the  learned 
Spencer  De  Legibus,*  "  that  stones  unwrought  and 
retaining  their  original  and  entire  form,  are  en- 
dowed with  a  certain  native  purity,  and  therefore 
remarkably  correspondent  to  the  sanctity  of  an 
altar."  He  adds,  that  in  the  earlier  ages  it  passed 
into  a  law,  that  most  symbols  and  instruments  of 

*  Hebrseorum  Ritualibus,  Lib.  ii.  c.  vi.  Sec.  1. 


582  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

divine   worship   should    be   rude  and   destitute   of 
ornament. 

I  must  here  terminate  the  protracted  considera- 
tion which  we  have  given  to  the  various  difficulties 
which  are  supposed  to  attend  the  belief  that  the 
Pentateuch  proceeded  from  the  hand  of  Moses. 
An  attempt  has  at  least  been  made  to  answer  the 
objections,  which  Dr.  Cooper  declares  to  have 
been  hitherto  unanswered.  What  degree  of  suc- 
cess has  attended  the  effort,  an  intelligent  commu- 
nity will  determine. 


SECTION    XV. 

OF  all  the  objections  to  the  genuineness  of  the 
Pentateuch,  advanced  in  the  pamphlet  which  has 
given  occasion  for  the  present  remarks,  it  is  be- 
lieved that  no  one  of  any  importance  has  escaped 
our  consideration.  There  is  indeed  one  assertion 
made,  to  which  I  have  not  yet  adverted,  which 
furnishes  a  striking  example  of  what  cannot  be 
regarded  as  any  other  than  wilful  misrepresenta- 
tion. It  is  said  that  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple 
by  Solomon,  "  search  ivas  made  for  the  ancient 
documents  and  records  of  the  national  religion ;  but 
there  was  nothing  found  in  the  ark,  save  the  two 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  583 

tables  of  the  law  which  Moses  put  there  at  Horeb." 
Now  the  latter  fact  is  announced  both  in  the  book 
of  Kings  and  that  of  Chronicles,  but  in  vain  may 
we  look  for  any  confirmation  of  the  former. 
"  Search  was  made  for  the  ancient  documents  and 
records  of  the  national  religion  !" 

Where  this  is  mentioned,  I  confess,  I  have  been 
unable  to  discover.  Here  it  may  not  be  inappro- 
priate to  remark,  that  it  was  not  in  the  ark  that 
the  book  of  the  law  might  be  expected  to  be  found. 
It  was  not  directed  to  be  deposited  within  this 
receptacle,  but  to  be  laid  up  beside  it. 

I  would  now  repeat  the  remark,  that  I  am  not 
aware  of  having  omitted  to  consider  any  objection 
proposed  in  our  author's  pamphlet,  although  it  has 
been  through  close  attention  and  diligent  and 
repeated  perusal  of  it  that  I  have  been  enabled  to 
throw  into  any  order  the  undigested  mass  of  his 
reasons  and  exceptions. 

In  the  outset  of  this  investigation,  it  was  pro- 
posed to  examine  the  question  respecting  the 
authenticity,  as  well  as  that  relating  to  the  gen- 
uineness of  the  Pentateuch.  For  the  present,  at 
least,  this  must  be  omitted.  The  writer  has  found 
the  subject  grow  under  his  hands,  and  he  fears  that 
he  has  already  exhausted  the  public  attention,  even 
if  he  has  been  so  fortunate  as  to  gain  it.  There 
are  several  additional  inducements  to  abstain  from 
the  farther  prosecution  of  the  subject.  A  reference 


584  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

to  the  arguments  which  prove  the  authenticity  of 
the  early  biblical  records,  is  not  uncommon  in  the 
religious  publications  of  the  day,  and  in  conse- 
quence, information  on  this  point  is  pretty  generally 
diffused.  Again,  it  is  the  question  concerning  the 
genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch,  which  is  principally 
and  almost  exclusively  discussed  by  Dr.  Cooper. 
Indeed  this  is  the  only  point,  on  which,  ostensibly, 
controversy  exists,  although  throughout  his  work 
there  are  many  indirect  attacks  upon  facts  recorded 
and  the  system  of  religion  taught  in  the  Bible. 

To  meet  and  repel  the  various  exceptions  to  the 
subject  matter  of  our  sacred  records,  which  are 
scattered  throughout  his  tract,  would  require  space 
equal  to  that  which  I  have  already  occupied. 

As  respects,  however,  the  connection  between 
Geology  and  the  Pentateuch,  and  the  consistency 
of  the  records  of  revelation  with  the  appearances  of 
nature,  that  which  furnishes  to  Dr.  C.  the  title  of 
his  pamphlet,  but  which  occupies  a  very  small 
portion  of  it — it  is  sufficient  that  I  refer  the  reader 
to  an  interesting  essay  of  Professor  Silliman,  in 
the  edition  of  Bakewell's  Geology,  issued  in  1833. 
It  is  not  the  syllabus  of  his  lectures,  appended 
to  a  former  edition  of  this  work,  but  a  distinct 
treatise,  in  which,  without  naming  Dr.  C.,  or  at  all 
adverting  to  his  uncourteous  attack,  he  meets  all 
the  geological  difficulties  of  the  latter. 

But  although  our  researches  have  stopped  short 


ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  585 

of  their  final  result,  we  have  attained  a  point  of 
elevation  whence  we  can  clearly  perceive  the 
conclusion  of  our  progress.  Many  important  prin- 
ciples have  been  settled,  many  facts  authenticated ; 
the  way  is  cleared  up  for  our  further  advance. 
Enough  has  been  accomplished,  to  show  that  the 
Pentateuch  was  written  by  Moses,  and  promulgated 
in  the  very  age  of  its  production.  So  far  then  as 
the  credibility  of  an  historian  is  established,  by 
his  being  contemporary  with  the  transactions  which 
he  describes,  and  thus  able  to  obtain  an  acquain- 
tance with  them — we  may  confide  in  the  Jewish 
records.  An  important  consideration,  auxiliary  to 
this,  is  furnished  by  the  fact  of  the  historian's 
connection  with  the  events  which  he  describes. 
That  he  was  well  informed,  no  one  can  doubt ; 
that  his  narration  is  true,  we  have  this  guaranty, 
that  it  was  addressed  to  eye  and  ear  witnesses, 
who  would  have  lost  all  respect  for  a  leader  who 
endeavored  to  palm  upon  them  fables  for  truth, 
who  would  relate  a  series  of  prodigies,  as  having 
come  under  their  own  observation,  when  no  such 
things  had  occurred.  For  although  national  vanity 
might  connive  at  false  representations,  designed  to 
advance  the  glory  of  the  Jewish  people,  or  to 
exhibit  them  as  the  peculiar  favorites  of  heaven  ; 
it  would  most  assuredly  have  been  outraged  by  an 
account  of  their  disgraceful  conduct  in  numerous 
instances.  We  may  then  regard  the  established 
74 


586  ESSAY  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

fact,  that  the  Pentateuch  was  written  for  contem- 
poraries and  addressed  to  them,  as  carrying  with  it 
a  strong  proof  of  the  authenticity  of  the  record. 

In  connection  with  the  truth  of  the  history 
contained  in  the  five  books  of  Moses,  it  would  be 
interesting  to  consider  the  question  of  the  divine 
authority  of  the  system  of  religion  taught  in  them  ; 
which  would  be  established  by  a  view  of  the 
miracles  wrought  in  attestation  of  it ;  the  accurate 
prediction  of  events  to  occur  in  a  remotely  succeed- 
ing age,  and  by  its  sublime  theology  and  pure 
morality,  to  which  we  shall  in  vain  seek  a  parallel 
in  the  instance  of  any  other  nation,  however  re- 
nowned for  its  antiquity,  its  arts,  or  its  literary 
and  scientific  cultivation. 

But  these  are  topics  which  however  attractive,  I 
do  not  think  it  advisable  to  introduce  at  the  close 
of  what  has  been  a  protracted,  and  I  fear  tedious 
discussion.  Such  it  has  necessarily  been.  The 
adversary  has  occupied  a  wide  field.  Many  of  his 
objections,  although  frivolous,  could  not  be  satisfac- 
torily answered  within  a  moderate  space  ;  others 
rendered  necessary  investigations,  in  which  the 
public  generally  will,  it  is  probable,  feel  little 
interest.  The  whole  inquiry  may  be  neglected  by 
many  who  will  be  influenced  by  various  reasons. 
Some,  feeling  already  satisfied  with  respect  to  the 
conclusion  meant  to  be  established,  will  not  care 
to  examine  the  process  by  which  it  is  reached  ; 


ESSAY   ON  THE  PENTATEUCH.  587 

others  will  shrink  from  the  intellectual  effort  requi- 
site for  the  comprehension  of  an  argument,  neces- 
sarily treating  of  recondite  matters  ;  while  many, 
not  wishing  to  be  convinced  of  the  truth  of  religion, 
fondly  cling  to  preconceived  opinions. 

But  whatever  attention  his  argument  may  excite, 
or  whatever  estimate  may  be  made  of  its  merits, 
the  writer  possesses  the  satisfaction  of  knowing, 
that  his  object  has  been  to  sustain  what  he  deems 
important  truth,  that  he  has  used  no  disingenuous 
arts  of  controversy,  and  advanced  no  statement 
which  he  did  not  believe  to  be  true. 

So  far  as  the  discussion  has  assumed  a  personal 
aspect,  he  is  conscious  of  never  having,  without 
necessity,  used  a  harsh  expression ;  although  he 
regrets  that  a  concern  for  the  interests  of  truth,  and 
a  wish  to  guard  against  the  evil  influence  exerted 
by  a  great  name,  has  compelled  him  in  a  few 
instances  to  abandon  that  tone  of  courtesy  which 
would  otherwise  have  been  preserved  toward  his 
antagonist,  on  account  of  his  elevated  station  and 
advanced  age,  as  well  as  in  accordance  with  the 
ordinary  proprieties  of  social  intercourse. 


SERMON 

OCCASIONED   BY   THE   DEATH    OP 

REV.    ROBERT    MEANS, 

OP  PAIRFIELD  DISTRICT,  S.  C. 
PREACHED  IN  THE  SALEM   CHURCH,  ON  THE  SECOND   SABBATH  IN  JUNE,  1836, 

BY   GEORGE    HOWE, 

Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  at  Columbia,  S.  C. 


SERMON. 





2  KINGS  ii.  12. 

And  Elisha  saw  it,  and  he  cried,  My  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of 
Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof.  And  he  saw  him  no  more  :  and  he 
took  hold  of  his  own  clothes,  and  rent  them  in  two  pieces. 

THE  character  of  the  prophet  Elijah  is  marked  with 
the  elements  of  strength  and  grandeur,  more  entirely  than 
almost  any  other  which  is  portrayed  in  the  sacred  volume. 
God  caused  his  powerful  mind  and  amiable  heart  to  exist,  at 
a  period  when  his  service  required  such  talents  ;  and  under 
his  providence  this  mind,  with  all  its  affections,  was  so  dis- 
ciplined in  a  school  of  trials,  that  it  was  prepared  for  the 
noble  part,  which  it  was  to  perform.  Elijah  lived  in  a 
day  when  religion  was  depressed,  and  skeptical  notions, 
of  foreign  origin,  had  been  imported  into  the  Jewish 
realm,  and  were  enthroned  in  the  high  places  of  power  and 
royalty.  With  Jezebel,  daughter  of  Ethbaal  king  of  the 
Zidonians,  whom  Ahab  had  married,  was  brought  in  the 
Phosnician  worship,  which  was  sustained  by  all  the  ingenuity 


592  SERMON. 

of  that  wicked  queen,  who  affords  to  the  reader  of  sacred 
history  a  lively  illustration  of  the  fatal  power  which  can  be 
wielded  by  one  bad  woman,  placed  in  the  centre  of  attraction 
and  influence.  Instigated  by  her,  Ahab  erected  a  temple  and 
altar  to  Baal  in  Samaria  his  capital,  and  built  a  grove  con- 
secrated to  his  cruel  rites,  while  she  maintained  a  crowd  of 
idolatrous  priests  as  a  part  of  the  royal  household,  and  sent 
them  portions  from  her  table. 

Meanwhile  the  spirit  of  infidelity  pervaded  the  community, 
and  because  they  preferred  to  have  it  so,  the  evidences  of 
revealed  religion  were  obscured  and  hidden  from  the  minds 
of  the  people,  and  consequently  all  that  was  corrupt  among 
them  acquired  new  power.  At  last,  the  popular  mind 
became  prepared  for  the  formal  overthrow  of  the  true 
worship,  as  has  been  the  case  at  a  later  day  in  the  French 
nation  ;  and  Ahab,  prompted  doubtless  by  his  wife  Jezebel, 
slew  all  the  prophets  of  the  Lord  who  did  not  escape  by 
flight  from  the  hand  of  violence.  Amid  a  population  of 
4,000,000  of  people,  7,000  only  were  reserved  by  God, 
who  escaped  the  vigilant  eyes  of  persecuting  idolatry,  and 
maintained  the  true  religion,  perhaps  unknown  to  each 
other,  refusing  to  bow  the  knee  to  Baal. 

Elijah  himself  eluded  the  hatred  of  the  king,  and  kept 
beyond  the  reach  of  his  vengeance.  But  called  at  length 
from  his  seclusion  by  the  irreligion  of  the  times,  he  chal- 
lenged the  priests  of  Baal  to  a  bold  trial  of  the  divine 
original  of  the  two  religions,  on  the  mount  of  Carmel.  He 
erected  an  altar,  according  to  the  account  given  in  the  Bible, 
and  made  the  startling  proposition  that  the  God  who  an- 
swered by  fire  from  heaven,  should  be  acknowledged  the 
God  of  the  nation.  I  forbear  to  repeat  the  graphic  history 
of  this  event.  The  result  you  know.  The  fire  of  the  Lord 
fell,  and  consumed  the  burnt  sacrifice,  and  the  wood,  and  the 


SERMON.  593 

stones,  and  the  dust,  and  licked  up  the  water  that  was  in  the 
trench.  And  when  all  the  people  saw  it,  they  fell  on 
their  faces  :  and  they  said,  The  Lord  he  is  God  ;  the  Lord 
he  is  God.  The  tide  of  popular  feeling  was  then  changed, 
and  Elijah  perceiving  it,  seized  on  the  priests  of  Baal,  who 
by  introducing  another  worship,  had  committed  what  under 
the  theocracy  was  the  crime  of  treason ;  and  taking  them 
to  the  brook  Kishon,  he  slew  them  there. 

The  office  of  the  prophet  in  the  old  dispensation,  was 
different  from  that  of  the  pastor  in  the  Christian  church. 
The  prophet  was  the  pastor  not  of  a  single  congregation,  but 
of  the  nation.  He  was  the  guardian  of  the  theocracy,  and 
stood  as  a  watchman  to  see  that  the  fundamental  laws  of  that 
species  of  government  were  never  violated.  Such  was  the 
office  of  Elijah  ;  and  he  was  blessed  by  God,  and  honored 
as  the  instrument  of  recovering  the  people  from  their 
apostasy  to  idols.  He  interested  himself  in  founding  schools 
of  the  prophets,  where  the  youth  were  educated  in  religion 
and  literature  beneath  his  care.  And  after  a  life  of  unex- 
ampled usefulness,  he  was  carried  up  in  a  whirlwind  to 
heaven.  He  walked  with  God ;  and  he  was  not,  for  God 
took  him.  Elisha,  his  disciple,  his  assistant  and  successor  in 
the  prophetical  schools,  was  with  him  at  that  moment. 
"  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  still  went  on,  and  talked,  that, 
behold,  there  appeared  a  chariot  of  fire,  and  horses  of  fire, 
and  parted  them  both  asunder ;  and  Elijah  went  up  by  a 
whirlwind  into  heaven.  And  Elisha  saw  it,  and  he  cried, 
My  father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen 
thereof."  The  same  words  were  uttered  by  Joash,  king  of 
Israel,  in  reference  to  Elisha  when  he  was  about  to  depart. 
In  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  2d  of  Kings,  the  death  of  Elisha 
is  thus  narrated.  "  Now  Elisha  was  fallen  sick  of  his  sickness 
whereof  he  died.  And  Joash  the  king  came  down  unto 
75 


594  SERMON. 

him,  and  wept  over  his  face,  and  said,  O  my  father,  my 
father,  the  chariot  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen  thereof." 

My  father,  my  father,  is  the  language  in  which  a  disciple 
was  accustomed  to  address  his  instructor  and  guide.  As 
used  both  by  Elisha  and  Joash,  it  is  the  expression  of  grief 
and  affection  ;  a  lament  over  the  departure  of  a  revered  and 
beloved  instructor.  And  the  words  "  chariot  of  Israel,  and 
horsemen  thereof,"  are  an  encomium  passed  upon  him.  He 
was  the  defence  and  ornament  of  his  country.  Elisha  asserts 
of  Elijah,  and  again  the  same  is  said  of  Elisha  by  Joash,  that 
he  was  the  chariot  and  horsemen  of  Israel; — her  defence 
and  glory  more  truly  than  were  her  horsemen,  and  chariots, 
and  munitions  of  war. 

We  are  led  then  by  the  text  to  the  sentiment,  that  the 
man  of  piety,  especially  when  endued  by  God  with  talent, 
and  placed  by  him  in  a  commanding  station,  is  the  defence 
and  ornament  of  his  country. 

1.  My  first  reason  for  this  remark  is,  that  he  who 
embraces  religion  with  all  his  heart,  is  instrumental  of  propa- 
gating it. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  injunctions  of  revealed  reli- 
gion addressed  to  all  its  professors,  that  they  should  win  their 
fellow  men  to  embrace  it.  "  Go  ye,  says  the  Saviour,  and 
disciple  all  nations."  And  to  the  command  thus  given,  a 
special  promise  in  favor  of  him  who  obeys  it,  is  subjoined  as 
a  motive  to  obedience.  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway  to  the  end 
of  the  world."  "  He  that  obeyeth  one  of  the  least  of  these 
commandments  and  teacheth  men  so,  shall  be  called  great  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven."  He  shall  be  highly  honored  in  a 
state  of  future  felicity,  and  in  the  church  below.  "  They 
that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  shall  shine  as  the  stars  and 
as  the  firmament  forever."  To  make  no  efforts  of  this  kind, 


SERMON.  595 

is  in  the  Bible,  even  treated  as  a  sin,  and  is  attributed  to  the 
worst  of  motives.  "Thou  shalt  not  hate  thy  brother  in  thine 
heart :  thou  shalt  in  any  wise  rebuke  thy  neighbor,  and  not 
suffer  sin  upon  him."  If,  too,  the  Christian  believes  himself 
in  possession  of  a  priceless  treasure — a  treasure  which  is  but 
increased  by  irnpartation,  and  if  he  believes  that  others  are 
to  be  ruined  through  eternity  who  possess  it  not ;  should  he 
be  endued  with  but  the  common  feeling  of  sympathy  and 
benevolence,  he  will  strive  to  diffuse  his  own  principles 
around  him,  and  to  make  others  the  partners  of  his  joy. 

And  the  quiet,  unintended  influence  of  the  pious  man  over 
the  community  in  which  he  lives,  cannot  but  win  a  respect 
for  the  principles  he  professes,  and,  with  the  divine  blessing, 
convey  them  to  the  bosoms  of  others.  It  is  often  said  that 
familiarity  with  vice  removes  its  hatefulness  and  makes  us  its 
votaries.  And  it  is  a  declaration  of  the  Scriptures,  that  "  he 
who  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise,  while  the  com- 
panion of  fools  shall  be  destroyed."  Through  all  the  forming 
period  of  life,  it  is  by  the  imitation  and  observation  of  others, 
that  we  acquire  most  of  our  knowledge  ;  and,  with  the 
majority  of  men,  their  views,  principles,  feelings,  and  char- 
acters are  gained,  not  by  the  study  of  books  but  by  contact 
with  men.  There  are  so  many  points  of  interest  about  each 
man's  character,  that  they  who  know  him  well,  love  rather 
than  abhor  him.  And  sympathy,  which  binds  us  to  each 
other,  that  responding  of  heart  to  heart,  as  face  answereth  to 
face  in  water ;  that  awakening  of  kindred  emotions  in  other 
bosoms  ;  that  transfer  of  our  joys  and  griefs,  our  opinions, 
emotions,  and  prejudices,  to  others  whom  the  ties  of  society, 
kindred  or  friendship  have  bound  to  us,  causes  all  the 
lessons  of  wisdom  or  of  folly  which  any  man  may  teach,  to 
be  indelibly  imprinted  in  the  minds  of  others.  How  obvious 
then  is  it,  that  whatever  goes  to  constitute  piety,  cannot  be 


596  SERMON. 

confined  to  the  one  mind  in  which  it  resides  ;  that  its  in- 
fluence must  go  forth  from  that  mind  as  a  centre,  and  spread 
itself  more  or  less  widely  around  it. 

Thus,  we  have  been  affected,  and  our  education  has  re- 
sulted from  the  influence  which  minds  that  have  come  into 
being  before  us,  have  exerted  upon  us ;  and  we  ourselves,  when 
we  are  born,  enter  into  this  immense  world  of  intellectual 
being.  We  enter  into  it,  to  send  around  us  on  every  side, 
whether  we  will  or  not,  an  incalculable  influence  over 
relative  and  connection,  over  neighbor  and  friend,  and  to 
draw  in  the  course  in  which  we  move,  other  immortal  spirits, 
to  virtue  and  consideration  or  to  infamy  and  degradation  in 
this  life,  and  in  the  next  to  glory  or  eternal  shame. 

So  that  no  human  being,  man  or  woman,  lives  devoid  of 
responsibility,  even  to  our  fellow  men.  None  is  so  small 
that  he  has  no  centre  of  influence,  though  he  may  sigh  and 
say,  What  can  I  do  ?  And  who  will  regard  me  ?  And  he 
who  shall  diffuse  the  disease  of  bad  example  or  bad  prin- 
ciple, is  no  less  an  offender  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  no  less 
guilty  of  sin  against  man,  than  he  who  designedly  poisons  a 
spring  which  furnishes  a  city  with  water,  or  intentionally 
spreads  abroad  a  mortal  pestilence. 

2.  Now  Christianity,  which  is  but  the  perfection  and  com- 
pletion of  -the  Mosaic  form  of  revealed  religion,  is  a  combina- 
tion of  moral  influences  more  powerful  and  more  salutary 
than  man  has  yet  conceived.  What  Christianity  can  do  to 
elevate  man  and  to  give  peace  and  prosperity  to  nations,  will 
not  be  -known  till  the  day  predicted  in  prophecy  shall  arrive, 
when  her  influence  shall  reign  on  the  earth,  and  predominate 
in  the  cabinet  of  every  government,  in  every  hall  of  legislation, 
and  in  every  mart  of  business,  as  well  as  in  the  social  circle 
and  by  the  domestic  hearth.  Moral  principle  is  essential  to 
every  government.  Even  an  army  of  soldiers  is  without 


SERMON.  597 

value  if  it  is  entirely  wanting  among  them.  They  are  mis- 
erable aids  to  be  depended  upon  for  the  defence  of  their 
country.  Virtue  must  prevail  in  the  hall  of  legislation, 
must  preside  on  the  bench,  must  reign  in  every  seat  of 
power,  must  pervade  the  mass  of  the  people,  or  a  govern- 
ment of  law  can  never  be  maintained.  Do  we  not  all  know 
that  revealed  religion  is  the  perfection  of  moral  virtue,  and 
that  the  sanctions  by  which  she  enforces  it,  are  of  incon- 
ceivable power.  Finding  a  conscience  in  the  nature  of  man, 
and  some  knowledge  and  sense  of  a  present  Deity  and  a  day 
of  retribution,  she  reveals  to  the  mind  of  each  individual  his 
true  place  in  the  scale  of  being.  She  bids  him  look  from 
these  scenes  of  time  down  the  interminable  vale  of  endless 
years.  She  shows  him  himself  existing  through  eternal  du- 
ration, feeling  at  every  step  the  retributions  awarded  by  God 
to  his  behavior  here.  She  lifts  up  his  eye  from  his  present 
employments,  and  present  relations  to  society,  and  shows  him 
that  he  is  connected  with  a  larger  society  than  this,  at  the 
head  of  which  is  the  great  and  awful  Jehovah,  fearful  in  his 
praises  and  his  judgments,  but  clothed  with  kindness  to  his 
creatures.  She  presents  with  faithful  friendship  the  un- 
noticed and  slighted  claims  of  a  heavenly  Father  to  man's 
gratitude,  love,  and  veneration.  She  follows  him  to  the 
pillow  on  which  he  lays  his  head  after  a  day  of  toil,  and  re- 
veals the  Creator  to  the  created ;  the  friend  to  the  be- 
friended ;  the  benefactor  to  the  object  of  his  benefaction  ; 
the  king  to  his  subject.  She  thus  makes  us  tremble  to  do 
ill,  and  fills  us  with  anxiety  to  pursue  the  path  of  virtue, 
and  with  a  strong  hand  holds  out  her  shield  to  protect  society 
from  harm.  You  are  not  aware  how  much  of  the1  peace  and 
quiet  you  enjoy  flow  from  the  protecting  power  of  that  re- 
ligion which  many  affect  so  much  to  despise,  and  would 
pluck  from  her  dominion  over  the  hearts  of  men.  Your 


598  SERMON. 

dwelling  is  safe  from  the  incendiary's  torch,  your  property 
from  depredation,  your  life  from  the  hand  of  the  high- 
wayman ;  the  peace  of  your  domestic  retreat  from  the 
ruffian  who  would  invade  it,  not  because  man  is  by  nature 
virtuous  and  true,  but  because  revealed  religion,  the  object  of 
ridicule  to  the  shallow-minded  skeptic  and  the  thoughtless 
youth,  watches  with  incessant  care  to  protect  you,  creating 
around  you,  around  your  country  and  her  institutions,  a  ram- 
part of  impregnable  defence.  While  a  cradled  infant  she 
has  defended  you ;  amid  the  gambols  of  childhood,  has 
been  your  guardian ;  has  attempered  the  fiery  heats  of 
youth ;  has  given  sobriety  and  dignity  to  the  years  of 
manhood,  and  silvered  the  head  of  age  with  her  celestial 
radiance. 

This  religion  is  treasured  up  in  the  hearts  of  men.  They 
who  embrace  it  are  its  representatives,  its  teachers,  its 
epistles  of  commendation.  Their  influence  therefore,  while 
they  live,  ought  to  be  highly  prized,  and  their  removal  should 
be  lamented.  One  attached  to  them  by  affinity  or  friend- 
ship, might  well  mourn  over  them  and  say,  My  father,  my 
father,  the  chariots  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof. 
Especially  should  this  be  the  case,  if  these  individuals  have 
occupied  such  a  station  as  gave  their  example  greater  in- 
fluence, and  their  efforts  a  wider  sphere  of  operation.  If 
they  have  themselves  been  conspicuous  to  the  public  eye, 
and  been  honored  with  the  public  approbation  ;  and  if  from 
their  elevation  they  have  shone  forth  in  blessing  and  radiant 
purity ;  if  with  their  tongue,  with  their  pen,  or  with  their 
wealth,  they  have  exerted  themselves  to  promote  the  reign  of 
truth  and  piety,  the  world  can  ill  afford  to  lose  them,  the 
good  may  sigh  over  their  ashes  and  say,  "  When  the  founda- 
tions are  removed,  what  shall  the  righteous  do." 

But  who  occupies  a  more  enviable  post  of  usefulness  than 


SERMON.  599 

the  clergyman,  the  ambassador  of  God  to  man,  the  teacher 
of  righteousness,  the  promoter  of  virtue,  intelligence,  and 
truth  ?  I  know  our  office  has  been  despised.  An  affected 
and  shallow  philosophy  has  been  industriously  employed  in 
sneering  at  our  characters  and  services,  and  in  loading  us 
with  contumely.  But  our  appointment  was  from  heaven, 
one  of  the  gifts  conferred  upon  men  by  the  Saviour  when  he 
ascended.  And  like  all  his  bestowments,  it  is  rich  in  benefits 
to  man.  A  genuine  clergyman,  filling  the  pastoral  relation  in 
the  manner  contemplated  by  our  church  and  most  other 
Protestant  denominations,  has  a  more  favorable  opportunity 
of  promoting  the  best  interests  of  man,  than  falls  to  the  lot 
of  more  than  a  favored  few  of  the  human  family.  Such  a 
man  I  suppose  to  be  fully  educated,  of  cultivated  mind,  re- 
fined feelings,  and  amiable  deportment,  as  well  as  of  ardent 
piety.  None  others  should  be  invested  with  the  sacred 
office.  None  others  are  competent  to  discharge  all  the 
duties  which  fall  within  the  wide  range  of  clerical  labor. 

1.  He  stands  in  a  place  which  is  suited  to  command  some 
of  the  deeper  feelings  of  human  nature.     He  occupies  this 
sacred  spot  on  the  holy  day  of  religious  rest,  to  plead  the 
cause  of  God,  to  point  to  a  coming  judgment,  to  speak  to  the 
conscience  in  its  deepest  recesses,  to  present  to  your  view 
the  victim  on  Calvary,  the  Lamb  provided  by  God  for  man's 
salvation,  to  recover  you  to  a  heavenly   Father  from  whom 
you  have  revolted,  and  to  show  you   that  only  while  your 
obligations  to  him  are  acknowledged  and  observed,  are  you 
safe  and   happy.     The  sacredness  of  the   Sabbath,  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  of  the  Bible,  and  the   holy  dignity  of  wor- 
shipping God,  attach  themselves  in  some  measure  to  him. 

2.  The  truths  which  he  teaches  are  adapted  to   man's 
wants,  and  are  most  deeply   interesting  to  the  human  heart. 
The  holy  character  of  God ;  the   all  pervading  nature  and 


600  SERMON. 

control  of  the  divine  Providence ;  our  imbecility,  dependence, 
and  alienation  from  heaven ;  the  descent,  humiliation,  atoning 
death,  triumphant  ascension,  and  universal  reign  of  the  Son 
of  God  ;  immortality  beyond  the  tomb  ;  the  resurrection  of 
the  sleeping  dead ;  the  necessity  to  which  we  are  all  subject 
of  standing  in  judgment  before  the  tribunal  of  God  ;  the 
never-ceasing  joy  of  heaven,  and  the  unending  suffering  of 
hell,  are  in  their  nature  and  their  relations  to  us,  more  com- 
manding, more  thrilling,  more  expanding  and  ennobling  to 
the  mind,  and  of  more  universal  interest,  than  any  system  of 
truths  which  could  be  selected  from  the  wide  compass  of  all 
those  sciences  and  professions  which  occupy  the  thoughts 
and  interest  the  feelings  of  man.* 

3.  He  is  connected  with  his  flock  by  many  interesting 
relations.     He  joins  the  youthful  pair  in  holy  wedlock  ;  he 
unites  the  children  to  the  church  by  the  baptismal  vow ;  he 
comforts  in  affliction  and  bereavement ;    he  is  at  the  bedside 
of  sickness,  and  in  the  chamber  of  the  dying.     In  all  these 
varied  situations  he  comes  in  contact  with  the  mind  in  its 
seasons  most  favorable  for  impression,  and  is  instrumental  of 
leading  it  to  that  which  will  promote  its  purity  and  peace. 

4.  The  clergyman  of  the  present  day,  in  all  Christian  coun- 
tries, is  the  zealous  promoter  of  science  and  learning.     The 
charge   has  been  brought  by  the   skeptical   and   irreligious 
portion  of  our  country  against  the  clergy,  that  they  engross 
the  education  of  youth,  and  that  nearly  all  the  colleges  in 
our  land  are  under  their  influence.     But  the  charge  is  one 
of  the  highest  eulogiums  upon  the  clergyman  which  can  be 

*  The  experiment  of  substituting  another  system  of  truths  for  those  of 
revealed  religion,  was  tried  by  the  Theophilanthropists  in  France  from  A.  D. 
1796  to  A.  D.  1802.  It  proved  an  entire  failure.  See  a  history  of  this 
instructive  experiment  in  the  Abbe  Baruelle's  History  of  Jacobinism,  and 
the  Histoire  de  Theophilanthropie  par  M.  Gregoire.  Also,  in  Dr.  Alexan- 
der's Evidences,  Chap.  ii. 


SERMON.  601 

-£  f 

pronounced.  It  is  indeed  true  that  most  of  our  colleges  have 
been  founded  and  builded  up  by  the  efforts  of  men  of  this  pro- 
fession. This  has  been  because  they  were  the  friends  of  know- 
ledge and  of  intellectual  culture.  The  religion  they  profess 
flourishes  in  light,  and  languishes  in  darkness.  It  is  of  itself 
one  of  the  most  powerful  instruments  of  raising  and  enlarging 
the  mind.  And  it  obliges  them  to  promote  the  best  good  of 
their  countrymen  in  every  possible  way.  They  are  bound 
to  pour  forth  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  world.  And  if  they 
have  been  oftener  officers  of  college  than  other  men,  and 
have  often  been  made  trustees  in  these  seminaries  of  learning, 
it  has  not  been  by  their  own  election  and  management,  but 
by  the  free  voice  of  the  public,  which  has  called  them  to 
these  offices  of  trust  and  honor.  May  we  go  on  in  the 
course  which  we  have  commenced.  And  if  men  of  other 
professions  will  not  move  forward  and  provide  for  the  in- 
tellectual culture  of  the  forming  generation  and  of  those  yet 
unborn,  be  assured  the  work  will  be  done  by  the  educated 
clergy  of  your  country. 

5.  And  the  pen  of  the  clergyman  is  perhaps  oftener 
employed,  and  more  successfully  than  that  of  other  men,  in 
impressing  those  truths  which  ennoble  man  and  prepare  him 
to  live  here  and  hereafter,  piously,  usefully,  and  happily. 

It  is  the  business  of  the  clergyman  to  study  these  truths. 
And  if  he  have  genius  and  enterprise  he  will  publish  them  to 
the  world.  And  they  will  live  on  the  pages  his  pen  has 
traced,  and  will  bless  mankind  when  his  voice  no  longer 
resounds  in  the  earthly  sanctuary.  The  clergy  have  written 
more  than  the  men  of  other  professions.  And  it  is  true  that 
they  have  written  many  dull  and  prosing  volumes.  But  they 
have  written  others  which  will  live  till  the  millennial  day,  and 
scatter  blessings  through  all  coming  time.  The  power  of 
mind  over  mind  is  incalculable,  and  is  eternal.  And  no 
76 


602  SERMON. 

where  is  this  power  more  concentrated,  and  more  sensibly 
asserted  than  in  the  life-giving  productions  of  sanctified 
genius.  As  the  blind  Homer  of  other  days  hath  enlightened 
and  elevated  the  past  generations,  so  shall  some  Christian 
Homer  arise  among  those  devoted  to  the  service  of  God, 
who  shall  purify  while  he  enlightens  the  generations  yet  to 
succeed  us. 

6.  The  clergyman  is  bound  to  promote  all  those  associa- 
tions formed  for  the  moral  renovation  of  man. 

Societies  for  the  education  of  youth  for  the  ministry,  for 
sending  the  living  preacher  to  the  heathen,  for  putting  a 
Bible  into  the  hand  of  every  man  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
in  his  own  mother  tongue  ;  the  giving  of  a  written  language 
to  barbarous  nations,  and  the  forming  among  them  of  a  pure 
and  Christian  literature  ;  these  and  all  the  methods  which 
modern  philanthropy  has  devised  for  the  renovation  of  the 
world,  owe  their  origin  to  the  direct  or  indirect  influence  of 
this  despised  profession.  The  world  is  to  be  renovated  by 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  not  by  power,  nor  by  might,  nor  by 
organization,  management,  or  chicanery  ;  but  by  the  simple 
promulgation  of  its  clear  and  powerful  truths,  in  the  ears  of 
every  man,  in  every  clime.  And  the  clergyman  is  bound 
to  go  out,  personally  or  by  his  influence,  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 

One  of  these  servants  of  God  and  friends  of  his  country 
has  been  called  away  from  his  mortal  labors  and  mortal  suf- 
ferings, and  from  this  place,  often  occupied  by  him  to  impart 
to  you  instructions  from  the  divine  word,  I  would  lead  you 
to  a  remembrance  of  his  worth,  to  a  recollection  of  his  labors 
for  your  good,  and  would  invite  you  to  view  him  as  he  stands 
in  that  higher  temple  above  surrounded  by  purer  worshippers. 

He  was  born  into  this  life  of  trials  December  29,  1796, 
and  into  the  bosom  of  a  family,  many  of  whose  members  I 


SERMON.  603 

'*jS 

now  see  around  me  and  which  has  been  permitted  to  enjoy 
each  other's  society  more  than  has  usually  been  allowed  to 
other  family  circles.  From  childhood  he  was  fond  of  study, 
and  entering  at  an  early  age,  he  graduated  at  the  South 
Carolina  college  in  1813,  when  he  was  but  seventeen.  His 
attention  was  first  turned  to  the  study  of  the  law,  which  he 
pursued  with  Mr.  John  Hooker,  of  Columbia,  during  the 
year  J814,  and  part  of  1815.  But  it  was  not  the  design  of 
God  that  he  should  devote  his  energies  to  the  profession  for 
which  he  had  thus  prepared.  Because  of  his  minority  he 
was  not  then  admitted  to  the  practice  of  the  bar.  And  before 
the  hour  for  his  admission  had  arrived,  he  had  directed  his 
attention  to  other  and  higher  objects.  Early  in  1816  his 
mind  was  awakened  to  an  unwonted  interest  in  religious 
things.  Those  little  narratives  of  "  The  Dairyman's  Daugh- 
ter "  and  "  The  Young  Cottager,"  in  which  the  artless  tale 
of  the  conflicts  and  deliverance  of  the  child  of  God,  is  traced 
by  the  pen  of  genius,  were  the  instruments  God  used  in  his 
case,  as  in  many  others,  if  not  to  awaken,  at  least  to  heighten 
that  slumbering  sense  of  obligation  to  God  which  lies  dor- 
mant in  the  unsanctified  heart.  Might  it  not  have  been  too 
that  the  instructions  of  a  pious  and  honored  mother  were 
then  remembered  with  unusual  power  and  affection  ?  For, 
mothers,  you  do  not  know  when  the  seed  sown  by  you  will 
germinate.  You  do  not  know  when  the  soil  in  which  you 
deposit  it  will  be  mellowed  by  the  genial  showers,  nor  what 
ploughshare  will  admit  to  it  the  quickening  beams  of  the  Sun 
of  righteousness. 

As  yet  he  made  no  profession  of  religion.  But  in  May  of 
the  same  year,  1816,  God  took  from  him  his  beloved  mother, 
the  protector  of  his  childhood  ;  a  mother  whom  many  of  you 
honor  as  a  pattern  of  piety.  His  attention  was  thus  turned 
to  the  ministry  as  a  sphere  of  effort.  From  the  vale  of  afflic- 


604  SERMON. 

tion  in  which  God  had  placed  him,  as  he  lifted  his  eye  to 
heaven,  he  heard  a  voice  crying,  "  Whom  shall  I  send,  and 
who  will  go  for  us  ? "  and  with  humility  and  self-abasement 
he  replied,  "  Here  am  I,  Lord,  send  me."  In  a  diary,  written 
at  this  time,  he  says — "  As  I  have  dedicated  myself  to  God 
in  the  gospel  of  his  Son,  I  will  make  it  the  ruling  object  of 
my  exertions  to  obtain  the  qualifications  for  this  office,  and 
to  exercise  them  in  a  fervent  and  faithful  mariner.  May 
God  enable  me  to  do  this  for  Christ's  sake."  He  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Harmony 
in  1818,  and  continued  engaged  in  the  labors  of  the  ministry 
in  Salem  church,  at  Winnsboro',  Camden,  and  Newbury, 
until  January,  1824,  when  he  received  a  call  from  Camden, 
and  one  from  Columbia  at  nearly  the  same  time.  He 
accepted  the  call  from  Columbia  and  was  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  that  place  for  three  years,  when  the  term 
for  which  he  was  called  expired.  He  was  again  invited  to 
the  same  pastoral  relation,  but  chose  to  decline  it,  and 
returned  to  the  bosom  of  his  family,  in  these  his  old  accus- 
tomed haunts,  where  the  ashes  of  his  kindred  sleep.  And 
this  was  his  home,  and  this  sanctuary  was  the  scene  of  his 
labors,  and  you  are  the  persons  whom  he  sought  to  lead  to 
the  Saviour,  and  for  whom  he  prayed  until  he  faded  away 
and  disappeared  from  the  abodes  of  men.  You  recollect  him 
as  his  manly  and  noble  form  rose  before  you,  his  countenance 
beaming  with  benignity  and  glowing  with  health,  and  you 
remember  him  as  emaciated  with  disease,  the  hectic  on  his 
cheek,  his  steps  tottering  and  slow,  he  stood  among  you  the 
shadow  of  what  he  was. 

In  1 826  he  was  violently  attacked  with  an  epidemic  which 
laid  the  foundation  for  a  decline  of  his  health.  This  decline 
was  gradual  at  first,  and  almost  imperceptible  until  the  last 
two  years,  during  which  it  has  been  painfully  evident  that  he 


SERMON.  605 

was  sinking  fast  to  an  early  tomb.  He  was  cheerful  and' 
resigned  amidst  his  accumulated  sufferings,  and  as  his  bodily 
powers  failed,  his  mental  energies  were  strengthened  and 
invigorated. 

His  disease  affected  one  of  his  eyes,  the  sight  of  which, 
after  intense  suffering,  was  entirely  destroyed.  This  was 
the  severest  affliction  he  had  yet  endured.  Devoted  to 
study  as  he  was,  and  delighting  more  in  converse  with  the 
mighty  dead  than  with  the  living — though  he  loved  the 
living  too — the  chief  source  of  his  pleasure  was  now  re- 
moved. And  with  the  joyous  light  of  the  sun  his  intellec- 
tual enjoyment  fled  away,  and  the  darkness  and  gloom  from 
without  sunk  with  oppressive  power  over  his  heart.  During 
the  last  autumn  his  health  was  greatly  improved,  and  he 
returned  with  renewed  avidity  to  his  studies,  and  looked 
forward  again  with  almost  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  to  a  life 
of  usefulness.  He  now  removed  to  Columbia,  partly  that  he 
might  superintend  the  education  of  his  children,  and  partly 
that  he  might  enjoy  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  ampler 
libraries  located  there,  as  well  as  by  the  literary  society  of 
the  place.  He  was  a  candidate  for  the  professorship  of 
Sacred  Literature  in  the  college  of  South  Carolina,  and 
would  have  been  unanimously  elected  had  not  the  Almighty 
willed  it  otherwise.  On  the  night  before  his  election  was  to 
take  place,  the  sight  of  his  remaining  eye  became  affected. 
He  bore  up  against  this  last,  this  heaviest  blow.  He  retired 
to  rest,  hoping  that  sleep  and  the  morning  dawn  would  dissi- 
pate the  mist  that  was  gathering  over  him.  The  sun  arose 
fresh  and  young  as  at  his  first  creation.  But  he  shone  to 
our  brother  with  diminished  lustre.  His  full  glories  he  never 
again  beheld.  Perceiving  that  his  sight  was  growing  more 
and  more  obscure,  he  that  morning  withdrew  his  name  from 
the  list  of  candidates  for  the  expected  professorship.  He 


606  SERMON. 

saw  in  a  moment  that  his  hopes  as  a  scholar  were  at  an  end, 
and  that  the  sphere  of  effort  he  had  greatly  coveted  was  now 
unattainable  forever.  Gradually  the  light  of  day  was  wholly 
excluded,  and  before  his  frame  finally  sunk  upon  its  dying 
couch,  or  the  force  of  his  mind  was  at  all  abated,  blindness, 
total  blindness,  had  made  him  insensible  to  aught  but  the 
voice,  the  touch,  the  memory  of  friendship.  What  a  blow  to 
the  scholar !  The  stroke  which  had  descended  was  aimed 
with  unerring  truth  at  the  centre  of  his  joys,  his  hopes,  his 
ardent  aspirations.  I  could  but  make  the  case  my  own.  I 
could  but  imagine  how  I  should  pray,  if  such  an  affliction 
were  in  prospect,  "  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass 
from  me."  I  could  but  think  of  Milton's  pathetic  lamenta- 
tion over  his  blindness. 

"  Hail,  holy  Light,  offspring  of  Heaven  first  born ! 

but  thou 

Revisitest  not  these  eyes,  that  roll  in  vain 
To  find  thy  piercing  ray,  and  find  no  dawn ; 
So  thick  a  drop  serene  hath  quenched  their  orbs 
Or  dim  suffusion  veiled. 

Thus  with  the  year 
Seasons  return,  but  not  to  me  returns 
Day,  or  the  sweet  approach  of  eve  or  morn, 
Or  sight  of  vernal  bloom,  or  summer's  rose, 
Or  flocks,  or  herds,  or  human  face  divine  j 
But  cloud  instead,  and  ever  during  dark 
Surrounds  me." 

"  This  last  sad  affliction,  which  withered  all  his  earthly 
hopes  and  prospects,  he  received  without  a  murmur;  and 
although  he  submitted  himself  unreservedly  into  the  hands 
of  his  Maker,  life  had  lost  all  its  charms,  and  death  was 
stripped  of  his  terrors.  When  asked  on  the  commencement 
of  that  melancholy  week,  if  the  prayers  of  the  church  should 
be  requested  for  him,  his  reply  was,  that  he  knew  God 
would  answer  the  still  small  voice  of  prayer  which  ascended 


SERMON.  607 

from  his  sick  bed  ;  yet  it  was  right  to  use  all  the  means  of 
grace,  and  for  example's  sake,  and  that  it  might  comfort  his 
mourning  family,  he  desired  it  might  be  done.  He  seemed 
to  feel  as  one  on  the  confines  of  eternity,  just  between  his 
friends  on  earth  and  those  in  heaven.  And  he  said  he  had 
been  thinking  very  much  lately,  of  those  beautiful  lines  in 
the  182d  hymn— 

1  The  saints  on  earth  and  all  the  dead, 

But  one  communion  make, 
All  join  in  Christ  their  living  head,  « 

And  of  his  grace  partake.' 

"  He  spoke  sweetly  and  affectionately  to  all  his  children 
and  his  brothers,  admonishing  them  to  make  God  their 
friend,  and  he  never  would  leave  nor  forsake  them.  He  ex- 
pressed his  gratitude  to  God  for  placing  him  among  such  de- 
voted friends.  He  gave  his  parting  benediction  to  his  eldest 
child,  and  said  he  had  prayed  for  them  all,  ever  since  they 
were  born,  and  hoped  their  heavenly  Father  would  always 
bless  and  care  for  them,  and  keep  them  in  the  right  way. 

"  On  the  last  sad  day  of  his  mortal  existence,  he  com- 
plained of  great  weariness  and  restlessness,  and  requested,  his 
beloved  wife  to  read  the  22d  Psalm,  seeming  to  feel  it  as 
applicable  to  himself.  The  hymn, 

'  My  God,  my  portion  and  my  love/ 

he  felt  very  deeply,  and  as  she  read, 

'  Thanks  to  thy  name  for  meaner  things, 
But  they  are  not  my  God,' 

he  repeated  the  last  line  with  great  emphasis  after  her. 
He  often  exclaimed,  '  Poor  man,  he's  crushed  before  the 


608  SERMON. 

moth  ;'  and  'out  of  the  depths  have  I  cried  unto  thee,'  some- 
times in  Latin,*  sometimes  in  English.  Nearly  his  last  words 
were  '  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come,'  and  his  wearied  spirit  took 
its  flight  to  the  regions  of  everlasting  bliss,  to  enjoy  the  rest 
appointed  for  those  who  love  and  serve  God." 

Thus  passed  your  pastor,  your  husband,  your  father,  your 
brother,  your  friend,  from  this  vale  of  sorrow  to  the  land  of 
peace.  His  sky  was  indeed  overcast.  His  sun  was  clouded, 
but  flashed  its  radiance  upon  us  through  the  gloom  as  it 
descended.^  It  hath  set  in  darkness,  but  hath  risen  on 
another  shore  in  undying  splendor.  He  hath  passed  the 
wilderness  of  life,  the  Jordan  of  death,  and  all  alarms. 
Henceforth  he  is  to  be  visited  with  no  more  pain,  nor 
sorrow ;  his  bosom  hath  heaved  its  last  sigh,  and  God  with 
his  own  kind  hand,  hath  wiped  away  all  tears  from  his 
eyes. 

It  is  indeed  mysterious,  that  one  so  qualified  to  be  useful, 
at  the  early  age  of  thirty-nine,  just  when  he  should  have 
entered  and  was  entering  a  wider  field  of  effort,  should  be 
cut  off  in  his  career.  But  I  cannot  regard  his  course  as 
finished.  Even  on  earth,  he,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh. 
His  influence  yet  lives  in  the  example  of  his  many  virtues, 
and  in  the  instructions  he  gave.  Nor  has  his  pen  been  idle 
or  useless.  It  performed  while  he  lived,  at  an  important 
juncture,  a  work  acceptable  to  the  friend  of  religion,  and  we 
trust,  to  his  divine  Master.  His  career  has  not  terminated. 
He  hath  but  passed  from  this,  to  another  and  more  desirable 
province  in  Jehovah's  dominions,  where  his  cultivated,  af- 
fectionate, judicious,  and  talented  understanding,  is  yet  to  be 
found ;  not  in  a  state  of  lethargic  ease,  but  in  active  and 
grateful  happiness,  serving  with  holier  devotions,  and  higher 

*  De  profundis  clamavi  ad  te  Domine :   Domine  exaudi  vocem  raeam. 
Ps.  cxxix.  1.    Vulgate. 


SERMON.  609 

zeal,  and  wider  usefulness,  its  great  Creator.  True  it  is 
then,  that  in  such  a  bereavement,  "  'tis  the  survivor  dies." 
But  he  is  not  lost.  The  survivor  may  yet  find  him,  and  be 
united  with  him  forever.  In  that  country — 

"  Where  our  friends,  our  kindred  dwell, 
And  God  our  Saviour  reigns," 

it  is  possible  to  meet  him.  The  way  thither  is  through  the 
Saviour,  Christ.  "  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life." 
Let  me  then,  instead  of  eulogizing  the  virtues  of  your  pastor, 
relative,  and  friend,  commend  to  you  his  instructions  and 
example.  Let  me  beg  you  to  reflect  that  it  was  for  your 
sakes  he  left  the  profession  he  studied  first,  and  assumed  the 
office  of  the  sacred  ministry.  Surely  it  was  not  for  honor's 
sake  that  he  assumed  it.  The  path  of  honor  lies  in  another 
direction.  In  the  legal  profession,  the  highest  secular  honors 
might,  I  may  say,  would  have  been  his.  It  was  not  for 
wealth.  What  then  was  the  motive  but  the  best  good  of  his 
race.  And  for  whose  good  in  particular,  if  not  for  yours, 
with  whom  his  life  was  passed,  and  as  whose  pastor  he  died. 
He  had  found  the  Saviour,  and,  like  Philip  and  John,  he  ran 
to  seek  his  kindred,  and  to  say,  "  I  have  found  him  of  whom 
Moses  and  the  prophets  spake."  Since  there  is  no  assignable 
motive  which  led  him  to  the  ministry  but  your  good,  does 
not  a  voice  come  to  you  from  his  honored  grave ;  does  not 
one  arise  out  of  the  secret  recesses  of  your  own  heart,  and 
bid  you  for  his  sake,  to  seek  the  face  of  God  your  king  ? 

In  this  day  of  hope,  and  before  the  opened  door  of  mercy, 
I  add  my  feeble  testimony  to  his,  and  beseech  you  to  trust  in 
that  Saviour  in  whom  he  trusted  ;  in  whom,  as  he  said  on 
his  dying  bed,  he  entirely  confided,  and  in  comparison  with 
whom  the  world  appeared  mean  and  unworthy. 
77 


610  SERMON. 

I  sympathize  with  you,  his  beloved  relatives  and  friends ; 
I  sympathize  with  you,  his  bereaved  church,  and  tender  to 
you  in  behalf  of  my  brethren  in  the  ministry  and  of  the 
churches  of  this  Presbytery,  our" and  their  sympathy.  Had 
he  lived  and  been  in  health,  to-day,  on  the  return  of  his 
family  to  this  place,  he  would  have  stood  before  you,  the 
minister  of  the  Lord.  When  asked,  "  Know  ye  riot  that 
the  Lord  hath  taken  your  master  from  your  head  to-day  ? " 
you  are  obliged  to  say,  with  the  silence  seeking  grief  of 
Elijah,  "  Yea,  I  know  it,  hold  ye  your  peace."  But  while 
you  exclaim  with  him,  with  grief  and  veneration,  "  My 
father,  my  father,  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen 
thereof,"  let  me  beg  you  to  remember  the  consolations  of 
the  Bible,  that  God  hath  there  declared  himself  the  father 
of  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow's  God  and  guide,  and  the 
unslumbering  Shepherd  of  Israel.  Rise  then  from  the 
affliction  which  hath  bowed  you  down,  unto  a  holier  con- 
fidence in  God,  and  say,  The  Lord  gave,  the  Lord  hath 
taken  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord. 


\ 


86: 


YC  46807 


i 


